


Snapshots

by MonPetitTresor, SpencerRemyLvr



Series: Second Chances [3]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Developing Relationship, Ever - Freeform, Family Feels, Friendship, Grieving, Mental Health Issues, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Panic Attacks, Past Child Abuse, Spencer makes friends, Spencer's trying, Spencer's trying to heal, Therapy, This is Marvel, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony takes care of Spencer, Touch-Starved, dad tony, it's not all pleasant, no one has a nice backstory in Marvel, possible triggers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-11
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2019-01-31 17:04:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 82,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12686409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonPetitTresor/pseuds/MonPetitTresor, https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpencerRemyLvr/pseuds/SpencerRemyLvr
Summary: This is going to be a series of snapshots that show us the developing relationships between everyone as we bridge the gap between Spencer becoming a Stark, and our next major story, starting just a week after our last story.





	1. One Week - 2016

**Author's Note:**

> Requests are very, very welcome! Either on here or on my tumblr @thequeervet
> 
> Warning: Potential triggers in, like, the whole series. Mentions of abuse, child abuse, past rape, drug use, depression, and other such things are going to happen now and again. It's hard not to with as messed up characters as they all are naturally. We'll try to warn but we might forget one or two.

One week, that was all it took. One week before the newly christened Spencer Stark made his first splash in the media.

Tony had kind of expected there to be trouble when they went public with Spencer's identity. The kid was going to be under a microscope and, even though he claimed he was used to the media, he'd never lived like this the way that Tony had. He hadn't been raised in it. So, Tony was pretty much resigned to the idea that there were going to be things that Spencer did that were going to end up causing a stir in the media. He just hadn’t expected it to take only a _week_. Or for it to happen like this.

Tony was working when he got the phone call. He was at Stark Tower on the R&D floor, talking with one of the scientists, when his phone gave a specific type of ring. It was the tone that let him know it was FRIDAY and that it was important for him to answer it. Tony held up a hand towards the man he was speaking with, Dr. Munroe, and pulled his phone from his pocket. “I’m sorry, Dr. Munroe, I’ve gotta take this.” That said, he wasted no more time in bringing the phone to his ear.

FRIDAY didn’t even let him get anything out before she was speaking. “ _Boss, the NYPD is calling the Compound, and they’re saying it’s urgent they speak with you. I’m rerouting them to you._ ”

The NYPD? Why on earth were the police calling him? If it was Avengers business, they would’ve called the Council, who then would’ve called in the Avengers. Or, someone there would’ve called Tony directly. So what the hell was going on?

Tony didn’t have long to wait. True to her word, FRIDAY rerouted the call to him instantly, and a second later there was a deep voice saying, “ _Mr. Stark?_ ”

“That’s me.” There was a bad feeling growing in the pit of Tony’s stomach. Angling himself away from the others, he began to make his way over to the elevator. “What can I do for you, Officer? It’s not often the NYPD calls me directly.” He tried his best to sound casual even though he felt anything but that. Something told him this phone call wasn’t going to go well.

He really, really wished that sometimes, he wasn’t right.

“ _This isn’t a social call, Mr. Stark, or a business call. Actually…_ ” There was a brief pause, during which Tony’s stomach clenched even tighter and countless different scenarios began to build in his mind. Then, “… _we’ve got your son down here in custody._ ”

Tony froze inside of the elevator, staring at the opposite wall with an expression of absolute shock. “Spencer?” Spencer was ‘in custody’? _Holy shit_. Since when did the kid do anything worth getting arrested for? “What happened? Is he all right?”

“ _He’s fine, Mr. Stark. A couple of bruises but nothing serious. And I’d like to explain this face to face instead of over the phone. If you could come down here…_ ”

“I’m on my way.” Tony cut in. “I don’t want anyone speaking with him until I’m there, either.”

What the hell had Spencer gotten into? The kid didn’t seem like the type to get into trouble with law enforcement! Hell, he’d been a _Federal Agent_! Tony hadn’t figured he’d ever have to worry about something like this with Spencer. _Who says it’s something bad? There’s no way he did something serious enough to warrant getting arrested. That’s not who he is. There’s got to be more to this_. That was the only way it would make sense. Tony had to be missing some important facts here.

Well, he wasn’t going to find them out until he got down there.

* * *

His driver, Lucas, had the car ready by the time Tony got downstairs and he drove quickly to get Tony to the station the call had originated from. FRIDAY was already looking into their records to see what was listed there about Spencer. So far, nothing. That didn’t stop Tony from worrying and wondering the whole way there, though. What on earth could’ve happened that the kid managed to get _arrested_? He was supposed to be at Peter’s for a movie marathon. How the hell had that ended up with him being _arrested_?

It couldn’t be anything superhero related. For one, no one had mentioned Peter, and his name hadn’t popped up in any police records. FRIDAY had a program that ran for things like that. If Peter’s name popped up in any hospital or police station, anything like that, Tony would immediately get an alert. _I should get Spencer’s name on there now, too._ Plus, the guy on the phone hadn’t mentioned anything about Spencer in a suit. So what the hell was going on?

Tony had run through way too many scenarios by the time he finally arrived at the station. There was no press outside the station – not _yet_ , at least – which made it easy for Tony to walk right up and march inside without being accosted by anyone.

There was the usual lull in conversation the minute he walked into a room. By now, Tony was far too used to it, and he didn’t pay it any real notice. No, his eyes were already scanning the room even as he walked, looking for the one person he was here for, though he knew there was a chance they’d have Spencer in a room somewhere away from everyone else.

Or not.

It took only a few seconds for Tony to spot a familiar figure. Off to the right of the station stood Spencer, and Tony was surprised to see that the teen wasn’t anything at all like what he expected. Instead of sitting calmly and quietly, or looking like he was fighting to hold himself together, Spencer was on his feet and standing toe to toe with the officers around him, glaring them all down without an ounce of fear. There was temper written clearly in every single line of his body as well as a willingness to stand up for whatever it was he was defending – and Tony had no doubt he was defending someone. That stance, that wasn’t Spencer, that was _Volt_. Spencer always had more confidence when in the suit. At the moment, he might as well have been wearing it. He wasn’t in a fighting posture; no, his posture more screamed a dare to anyone to try and make him move.

That probably had something to do with the teenaged girl sitting on a chair behind him. Tony caught just a glimpse of her as he walked in. What he saw was enough to make Spencer’s posture make a bit more sense. The girl was small, thinner than Spencer even, though Tony would bet she was taller when she stood up, and she had pastel pink hair and lavender skin. The tips of her ears peeked out from her pixie cut hair with a point that would’ve done Tolkien’s elves proud. Her features were a bit smoother, too, and her eyes slightly more almond shaped, all of it combining to give her a rather ethereal and beautiful look. Or, it would’ve been, if there wasn’t a big bruise marring one side of her face, what looked almost like road rash on the other side, and fear in her eyes.

Tony took all of that in within just a few short seconds; reading people what something he was more than skilled at.

The next instant Spencer had his attention entirely once more when he gave a firm “No” in response to one of the officers in front of him. “Absolutely not. You’ve violated her rights repeatedly since we’ve been brought in here. Until you can guarantee that you’re going to start respecting her as a _human being_ and allowing her the same rights as everyone else, and until you provide us with officers who aren’t blinded by racism or overwhelmed by lust, I’m not moving.”

One of the officers said something in response – Tony couldn’t hear it, he wasn’t close enough yet, though he was making his way forward – but he could clearly hear Spencer’s response, just as he could see the way his features tightened. “Being a Stark has absolutely nothing to do with it. It doesn’t matter who my Dad is. What matters right now is the blatant disrespect and outright cruelty you’ve shown when dealing with an already traumatized individual. Not only is she a human, she’s a _minor_ , and you have no legal standing to touch her or speak to her until her parent or guardian is present. Barring those, she has the right to legal representation _and_ an interpreter, neither of which you’ve provided.”

Even from a distance, it wasn't hard for Tony to see the slight crackle that was building in Spencer's eyes. It was a surefire sign of his growing temper. That, combined with the words he was saying, had Tony picking up speed. When he was close enough to finally get attention, he called out to Spencer, deliberately keeping his voice as easy as possible. "One week, huh? One week was all I get for a grace period?"

Spencer’s eyes shot up and found Tony in an instant. The relief that was visible there did Tony’s ego a lot of good. As Tony got closer, Spencer relaxed, his body losing some of its tension. “I figured it was only polite.”

Oh, the sassy little shit. Tony flashed him a grin. He neatly stepped around the last few officers and went right up to Spencer’s side. With a lift of an eyebrow and a twitch of his hand, he asked a silent question and, after a small pause, got a nod in response. That settled, Tony reached out and curled his hand over the back of Spencer's neck. Being this close let Tony see that the girl wasn't the only injured one. There was a mark on Spencer's temple, the one that he hadn't been able to see from his previous angle, and catching sight of it now made Tony wince in sympathy. It'd obviously bled at some point. There was blood on the side of Spencer's face, on his ear, and on the shoulder of his dark blue sweater. There was also a bruise on that side of his face, on his cheek and over his jawline.

“You look like hell,” Tony said bluntly, tilting himself to better look at Spencer’s face and then running his eyes down the rest of him in an attempt to find any other injuries. “You all right, Pikachu?”

Spencer’s expression softened a little more. One corner of his mouth curved up into that quiet little smile he sometimes got. “Yeah.” All at once his expression tightened again and his eyes flashed back to the girl sitting behind him. “She’s not, though. She needs a doctor.” Sharp eyes flashed as they shot to the side to glare at the officers. “ _Not_ to be locked up in a police station for a crime she _didn’t commit_.”

“Hey, hey, calm down there, Turbo. Talk to me. What’s going on here?” Tony tugged him in a little, curving them away from the officers. The others had backed off just the slightest bit, giving them a moment of privacy, and Spencer took advantage of that to lower his voice and speak quickly.

“I could feel her panic with my powers when I was coming back from Peter’s. When I got to the alley they were in, she was too concussed to even use her powers, and there were three males between the ages of twenty and twenty-five who were attempting to strip and assault her. They hadn’t gotten her clothes off yet, but they were close.” Spencer shot a look down at her and pursed his lips, his whole expression pained. “I wasn’t in my uniform, so I… I tried to be careful about it, but I couldn’t leave her there. I called the police and then I drew their attention away from her. When the police finally showed up, two of them were unconscious and she had just punched the last one. The officers took in that and her appearance and made the assumption of ‘mutant gone crazy’ and arrested her while sending the others on to the hospital. They didn’t even… they weren’t even looking at her right! There was just disgust and fear and even a bit of lust when they looked at her.”

 _Jesus_. Tony gave Spencer’s neck a squeeze and tried to project calm even as his own stomach rolled. These were supposed to be the guys looking after their city. How the hell were they supposed to do that when they treated some of its citizens like _this_?

Spencer wasn’t done yet, though. Even with Tony’s calming touch, he was still livid. “She panicked when they tried to cuff her. I mean, of course she did, she was just assaulted and here they are slamming her into a car and putting cuffs on her! But, she, she can’t _speak_ , Tony! Not the way they wanted. Best as I could get from her, she’s hard of hearing, and they haven’t provided an interpreter for her at all!”

There was a brief moment where Tony could only stare at Spencer. He didn’t bother asking how Spencer had been arrested, too. It wasn’t hard for him to picture it. He could easily picture this hurt, scared girl trying to fight against the officers, terrified of what they were doing and not understanding what was going on, and Spencer right there at her side. There’s no way he would’ve just stood back and let the officers treat anyone like that. That just wasn’t who he was.

“Good for you,” Tony murmured, giving his neck one last squeeze before letting go. He took in Spencer’s surprised look and grinned. Then he winked. “Why don’t you see if your friend would be comfortable with riding with us over to the hospital while I go talk to the lovely officers here. Lucas has the car outside; he’ll have no problem taking us over.”

The surprise on Spencer's face morphed into one of relief. The amount of it, and the way that Spencer visibly slumped spoke more than words. It told Tony that the kid hadn't been entirely sure of Tony's support here. The fact that he’d felt the need to question it at all was something that Tony was damn well going to work on. He might not have any clue how to be a father – he had a pretty good idea, however, about how _not_ to be one. It didn’t matter to Tony that Spencer wasn’t his by blood. Neither was Peter, and Tony had long since claimed that kid as his own, even if just in his head. These boys, they were his, and he was going to do everything in his power to do right by them.

Including taking on the local police.

Tony turned his attention to the police officers that were watching them not-so-discreetly. Behind him, he heard the shift as Spencer moved back towards his new friend and then the rustle of fabric as he most likely squatted down. A quick look back showed that he was right. Spencer was squatting in front of the girl and had lifted his hands to start signing to her. An aura of _calm_ was starting to build around Spencer; feeling it made Tony want to smile. The kid was getting a lot better at his projections.

The sound of movement brought Tony’s focus back. Right. No time to sit and think about things right now. He could be proud of Spencer’s accomplishments later. Right now, he had some officers to eviscerate.

A shark’s grin curved his lips. The sight of it would’ve been enough to warn anyone that knew him that he was about to cause some serious trouble. As Tony moved towards the unsuspecting officers, he chuckled inwardly.

* * *

Within twenty minutes Tony was climbing into the back of his car with Spencer and his new friend – “Her name is Lark, but she also goes by Elf sometimes” – and they were on their way away from the station. It’d taken quite a lot of talking, and a phone call to Charles, before he’d managed to get the girl released to him. There was no doubt in Tony’s mind that the girl was a mutant. This much physical manifestation? Yeah, that didn’t typically come with the superpowers that others got. Not without a lot of other bad side effects. Like being giant, green, or full of rage.

Lark seemed to either accept whatever it was that Spencer was signing at her, or she trusted him a lot more than Tony had expected because she gave a small nod when Spencer had signed at her once Tony was back, and then she'd followed them to the car without protest. Despite the fact that Tony had been right, she _was_ taller than Spencer, she still held herself curled in, avoiding the officers and their stares. When Spencer had taken off his jacket to wrap it around her, she’d given him a grateful look from underneath shaggy bangs and then promptly pulled the jacket even tighter around her.

The ride to the hospital was quiet. Tony wasn’t surprised when Lark stuck close to Spencer’s side. Nor was he surprised when Spencer didn’t even hesitate to get out with her once they were there and follow her inside. They wouldn’t be leaving her alone until the representatives from Xavier’s arrived to take over.

What did surprise him was just how protectively Spencer was standing at her side once they were in. Sure, he’d seen the kid protect Peter before, sometimes even unconsciously. He’d noticed how Spencer tended to look out for those that he cared about. But he’d never really seen him interact with a stranger like this while he wasn’t feeling defensive. All the people he’d met at the Compound, he’d been on the defensive, trying to protect himself. That need wasn’t here. Spencer was fully ready to protect Lark and didn’t seem to care one whit for what it made others think of him. Tony couldn’t help but feel proud of that.

Because Tony had been smart enough to be messaging Pepper about this whole thing, she’d already called ahead to the hospital and made sure they weren’t going to have to go sit in the waiting room. As soon as they were in, a nurse was leading them down a hall and towards a private room. Once there, she opened it up and gestured Lark inside while looking over her shoulder to Tony. “Why don’t you gentlemen go and wait down the hall for us? This shouldn’t take too long.”

Almost instantly, Lark flinched, leaning in towards Spencer just the slightest bit. In response, Spencer turned himself and slid one foot a few inches to the side until he had discreetly put himself between Lark and the nurse. His voice was calm as he spread his hands out and continued to project the same sense of peace he’d been projecting for a while now. “If you don’t mind, ma’am, I think I’ll stay with my friend. She’s not exactly comfortable around everyone right now, and while she’s decent at reading lips, it’s easier for her if there’s someone to act as interpreter.”

 _Smoothly done, kid_. Tony was impressed. He’d manipulated that _perfectly_. There was no way the nurse could refuse to let him in now, especially not when Lark so clearly didn't want to come out from behind Spencer, which only lent credence to his words.

Tony smiled when eyes turned his way and he held his hands up. "I'll wait. The guys from Xavier's should be here soon, anyway. Someone should meet up with them." That last part he directed at Spencer, who nodded at him. There was a brief moment of indecision on Spencer's face, a hesitance that didn't usually show, and then Spencer reached back and Tony instinctively reached out as well, holding his hand out for Spencer to catch. The teen did, curling his fingers briefly around Tony’s and giving a small squeeze, at the same time sending a projection of gratitude that was warm and heavy, like a quick hug. “Thanks, Dad.”

Even though Tony knew that word was being used because of their audience, hearing ‘Dad’ from him never failed to give the inventor a thrill that was equal parts amazing and terrifying. He squeezed Spencer’s hand back before letting go. “No problem, kid.”

* * *

Fifteen minutes had passed by the time the people from the X-Men showed up. He’d been expecting Jean Grey, who Charles had warned him he’d send. She was another telepath, a strong one, and also someone with other strong powers that would hopefully be able to contain anything if their new girl got upset. She was also kind, and female, and trained in handling traumatized kids, which was exactly what was needed here. However, Tony definitely hadn’t expected the short, burly guy at her side. As he pushed up from his chair in the waiting room – dutifully ignoring some of the stares sent his way, though thankfully Lucas had come in with him and made sure to take care of any would-be-photographers – and met the two with a smile. “Well look what the cat dragged in. Didn’t expect to see you here, Wolvie.”

The nickname made Logan scowl the same way it always did. Jean, however, smothered a smile. She held her hand out as she got close and shook with Tony, warmth bright in her eyes. “He insisted on coming with. I think he was just hoping to see your son again.”

Tony’s eyebrows shot up a little at that. He turned his focus to Logan, who was glaring at Jean. Lifting one finger, Tony wagged it his direction. “You better not have any designs on my boy here, Logan. He’s only fifteen, I’ll have you know!”

Logan rolled his eyes. “Don’t be any stupider than normal, Stark.”

“Now that’s not nice. I don’t know if I want him talking to you.” Tony crossed his arms over his chest and mock-glared at Logan.

He was rewarded with a sharp grin that showed just a hint of fang. It was a grin that was known to make plenty of people shiver. “What, scared I’m gonna teach him how to kick your ass, bub?”

Unable to help himself, Tony broke pose, losing his fake anger and openly grinning now. “Nah, he’s got Barton for that. Birdie’s been teaching him all sorts of ninja-death-by-thigh tricks. I’m pretty sure he could kick my ass without breaking a sweat.” The words came out with a fair measure of pride to them. Clint had been teaching both Peter and Spencer for a little while now and the two were showing a marked improvement. Tony was pretty sure either one of his boys could take him on and win. The fact that Spencer had powers that could easily disable his suit only made his chances even better. Oddly enough, that thought didn’t scare him.

His teasing earned him laughter from the two in front of him. Tony stuffed his hands down into his pockets and grinned a little at them. While he only knew about Jean through Charles and reputation, he was comfortable enough with Logan, and the fact that he and Spencer seemed to get on like a house on fire was just an added mark in the feral man's favor.

“I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you too, Logan,” Tony said once everyone had calmed again. His smile was genuine and open, something that Logan at least knew was rare for the genius. “I’ve been planning on bringing him out for a visit once the press died down a little. Of course, I wasn’t expecting him to go and get _arrested_ , but…” He shrugged his shoulders as if to say ‘what can you do’.

He'd already explained the entire situation to Charles, so he knew these two would have a pretty good idea of what had happened.

Whatever they might’ve had to say about it was lost when a nurse came towards them. “Mr. Stark?” She waited until he turned to look at her and then offered him a rather nervous smile, eyes flicking over to Logan and Jean and then back to Tony, then down to the ground. “You’re, um… your son asked us to let you know that they’re done. You’re free to go back if you’d like.”

Tony tried not to roll his eyes at the woman’s obvious nerves and the way she was trying (and failing) to discreetly stare at them through her bangs. He managed his best press smile instead. “Great. Thanks, sweetheart.” Without waiting for her to say or do anything else, he gestured to Logan and Jean and then set off in the direction of the room Spencer and Lark had gone to. It only took a minute for them to get there. Tony made sure to knock on the door, waiting for Spencer’s low “Come in!” before he opened it and stepped inside.

What he found had his smile softening into something more real. Lark was on the bed, dressed in hospital scrubs and Spencer’s jacket, her legs crossed under her, and Spencer was sitting on the foot of the bed with one leg drawn up and a hand resting on her knee. The whole room felt kind of like slipping down into your warm bed on a relaxing night. Warm, peaceful, and safe.

Man, Spencer was really projecting, wasn’t he?

Spencer kept his hand – just his fingertips, really – on Lark’s knee even as he turned himself to look up at them. When he saw who was coming in behind Tony, his expression eased just a little more and he gave that shy half-smile that was always just as equally embarrassed as it was pleased. “Logan. I didn’t know you were coming.”

The feral stepped around Jean and let the door close behind him. He flashed Spencer a sharp grin. “You got _arrested_ , pup. Like hell I was stayin’ away.”

Color flooded Spencer’s cheeks. He tried to glare at Logan and failed miserably at looking like any sort of threat. Tony wasn’t ever planning on telling him just how much he looked like some angry little kitten when he did that – small, adorable, and not the least bit threatening. “I wasn’t actually arrested, thank you very much. They had absolutely no legal grounds upon which to arrest either one of us.”

“Which he wasn’t the least bit shy about reminding them of,” Tony piped up.

Rolling his eyes at them, Spencer turned his focus back to Lark, who was watching them all silently. Tony took notice of the fact that her eyes matched her hair. They also carried a sharpness that made it clear she was paying plenty of attention to them all and she hadn’t quite decided if she trusted them or not. However, considering how much her eyes softened as she focused on Spencer, how the sharp edges faded away into something a whole lot more open and even gentle, it was pretty clear she trusted _him_.

Spencer lifted his hands in front of him and not only began to sign – he made a point of saying the words out loud as well. “I apologize for being rude. I didn’t mean to leave you out of the conversation. These people are from the school I told you about. The woman is Jean, and the annoying man beside her is Logan.” He finger-spelled his way through Jean’s name – Tony knew a _little_ sign language, thank you very much! He had lived with Barton in his home for quite a few years! – but the sign he made for Logan’s name wasn’t one that Tony recognized. Though he followed it up with another one, grinning this time as he snapped out three fingers in a move that was very clearly a mimicry of Logan’s claws.

Understanding lit Lark’s eyes. They flashed up towards Logan, this time obviously seeing more about him than she had before. There was surprisingly no fear in her gaze. “It’s nice to meet you,” she said, speaking for the first time since Tony had met her. Her voice wasn’t at all what the engineer had expected. It was just a bit deep, a bit husky. “I’m Elf. If you make sure to face me when you speak, I can read your lips.”

She didn’t give her real name, probably not realizing that Tony already had. Either that or it was a blatant statement meant to show just how little she trusted them right now.

Logan lifted his hands and surprised Tony by signing as he spoke. “I can sign if it makes it easier for you.”

One pink eyebrow arched up. Lark watched him for a moment before her lips twitched up. “I won’t say no. Sign’s always easier to understand than lipreading.”

“Well if you have trouble understanding anything we say, please let us know,” Jean said, interjecting herself smoothly into the conversation. She was all smiles when Lark turned to her. It was easy to see why Charles had sent her. Jean was calm, composed, and sympathetic without crossing over into pitying. Everything about her made her the clear choice to send to speak with a victim. There was nothing about her that seemed confrontational.

So, of course, Lark was watching her with the utmost suspicion. “Spencer told me why you’re here.” She tilted her head, studying the two X-Men. “He says you want to help, but I recognize who you are and I’m not interested in fighting for your team."

“No one’s going to make you fight if you don’t want to,” Jean hurried to reassure her. “Our school is just that – a school. You can go there without ever joining up with the X-Men if that’s what you want.”

It didn’t look like Lark believed her. She had her eyes narrowed on Jean, though they darted down to Spencer for a moment and then back up. “Would I be free to change my mind one day?” The way she said the word free, it was like it was something foreign. Like she wasn’t quite sure of the English word she wanted.

Logan was the one to answer her this time. “Yeah. It’s an offer that’s always there, not an order. You do what you want.”

She must've found his words more believable than Jean's, which was something odd and worth thinking about because she gave a small nod. Then she looked back down at Spencer again and there was a wealth of words that passed between the two of them without them ever having to say anything. Spencer’s expression grew sad and he gave a small nod, once more resting just the tips of his fingers on her knee. It seemed to give her the support needed to draw in a breath and look up at the others again. “I want to go with you. I want to… to learn. And I want to be free. I’m sixteen years old, as far as I can figure, and if I’m adding it all up right, I’ve been someone else’s property for twelve of those years. I got away a year ago and I’ve been free to be my own person since then. Spencer says I can trust you to help me without taking away that freedom.”

Her blunt words caused a stunned silence to fall over the room. Tony knew he was staring and couldn’t quite help it. He’d never heard someone speak so casually about being a captive for _twelve years_. Jesus fucking Christ, that would’ve made her _three_ when she was taken, and just fifteen when she got free. Who the fuck took a kid? Even worse – what had they done to her?

The sad expression in Spencer’s eyes, as well as the carefully banked anger, told Tony that he probably didn’t want to know.

“I been someone’s property before.” Logan’s voice was flat and his gestures just a bit sharper than before as he signed. “So long as I got strength left, I aint letting anyone else have to live through something like that. Not while I’m around.”

The two connected eyes for a long moment. The air seemed charged around them. Then, ever so slightly, Lark nodded. She’d go with them, for now. Whether or not she stayed would remain to be seen.

* * *

It took a bit of work for them to get her officially checked out. Tony didn’t bother paying attention what Jean did. The less he knew about how Charles gained custody of all these orphaned kids, the better. Besides, he was a lot more interested in watching Lark and Spencer as the two stood outside near the car the two X-Men had brought with them.

Lark was wearing some clothes that Jean had brought with her. They fit pretty well, though they looked a little big. Lark’s form was long and willowy. Her hair stood out a little more now that it was night. Quite a bit of time had passed since Tony had gotten the call that originally took him down to the station. Little had he known that this was how his night would end.

A low laugh from Spencer had Tony shifting his gaze to the smaller of the two teens. Spencer was smiling up at the girl, hands flying quickly through his signs and his whole expression open and easy. They finished whatever they were signing and Tony saw as Lark lifted her hand, almost like she was going to reach out to hug him, only for her to stop and draw back at almost the exact same time that Spencer flinched. She hadn’t stopped _because_ Spencer flinched; just, at the same time as him.

The empath must’ve sensed something in her emotions. He controlled his flinch and immediately leaned back towards her. Only, he didn’t reach out to hug her. Instead, he lifted his hand and held it up, palm out and fingers loose, right in front of hers. There was a brief moment of hesitation on Lark’s part. She looked back and forth between their hands and Spencer’s face. Then she pressed her hand in so that they were fingertip to fingertip, palm to palm. Spencer pressed his fingers one by one against hers, like playing the keys on a piano, and Tony could see as Lark relaxed a little at the touch. Enough that she could offer him a ghost of a smile in return. It was easy to lipread her soft ‘Thank you’.

Tony resisted saying anything about their interactions while they were in front of others. He waited until they got through all their goodbyes, with promises from more than a few to exchange calls – Spencer even pressed a paper with his number on it into Lark’s hand – and they were finally once more in the back of Tony’s car before he finally spoke what was on his mind. Even then, it was just a simple, “You were really good with her.” He looked across the car at the bit of Spencer’s face that was lit by passing streetlights. “You did a good thing tonight, Spencer. You should be proud of that.”

Spencer ducked his head and shrugged one shoulder, as uncomfortable as always with praise. “She needed help.” He said it like that said it all. To him, it probably did.

“Still. You did good, kid.”

“Thanks,” Spencer said softly. He drew in a breath and blew it back out carefully, turning himself towards Tony once more and no longer hiding, and he reached out and brushed his fingers over Tony’s leg, just briefly. “Really, Tony, thank you. I just wanted to, um, to say that. Thank you for helping, and for, for not… being angry.”

Angry? Why on earth would he be angry? “There was no reason to be,” Tony said simply.

He saw a hint of Spencer’s smile. “Not many would’ve got that. They certainly wouldn’t have given me a chance to explain until later. But you came in full of worry and a dash of amusement, and you let me explain everything, and you _trusted_ me. I just, I wanted to say thank you.” He gave Tony’s knee a squeeze and then drew his hand back, seemingly embarrassed by his own words.

He wasn’t the only one. Tony just barely managed to keep from blushing. He drew back a little and turned to stare out the window, even if he didn’t really see anything there. Better than staring at the kid’s face as he told him “You’re welcome.” It was all he could think of to say to that heartfelt little speech. There was something about Spencer that just had a way of flustering Tony sometimes. The open simplicity that he spoke of the emotions of others, or occasionally his own – even while looking completely uncomfortable or unsure, he spoke about his emotions like they were facts, like just everyone should know these things – was so strange to him. Yet, at the same time, it was almost… nice. In an odd sort of way. There was no way Tony could hide what he was really feeling from an empath and a profiler. The fact that he had someone in his life who he wasn’t going to be able to bullshit was weirdly refreshing.

Of course, that didn’t mean he was entirely comfortable with being called out on it. As per usual, when Tony got uncomfortable, he tended to shift the focus off of him, and now was no different. This seemed like the perfect time to bring up something that he’d noticed lately.

"You know… you've started to touch more." Tony wasn't meaning just with Lark, either. Spencer was starting to touch with all of them a whole lot more. Before, it was mostly with Peter and mostly just little touches. Fingers brushing over his arm, or their arms nudging one another. Lately, it had become a whole lot more. Spencer was accepting touches and giving them out in a way that seemed so strange and out of character for him and it had Tony worried. "You know you don't have to do that, right? None of us are going to force it. I don't want you to think you have to try really hard for it just because you’re stuck with us now, or because we’re in the public eye or whatever. If you’re not comfortable with it, that’s okay. We’ve all got our quirks.”

Even in the darkened light of the car, it wasn't hard to see the hint of color that warmed Spencer's cheeks. The kid ducked his head down in a way that Tony had come to recognize; it was what Spencer did when he wanted to watch without people being able to see his face or his eyes. "I… I know." The kid drew in a visible breath and squared his shoulders in that way he had of facing things head on sometimes. His voice grew just a bit steadier, even if there was still a hint of hesitance to it. "I've been speaking with Doctor Strange and Professor Xavier, and both of them have advised me that I, um, that empaths are very tactile by nature. That it’s not just a, a _want_ , but a _need_. Doctor Strange advised me that there’s no greater torture for an empath than to be deprived touch. For empaths, touch-starvation is actually very literal. I’ve been trying to, um, to accommodate that. While I may not always like it or feel comfortable with it, it’s become apparent that they’re correct and part of me _needs_ it.”

Huh. Stephen had mentioned something along those lines before, though not as in depth. So hard Charles. Hearing Spencer put it into words, though, was entirely different. It had Tony thinking about it more than he had before. He could see what Spencer meant, too. There were times that he’d hugged the kid, or put a hand on his shoulder, and Spencer had tensed a little initially, but he’d also relaxed down into the touch rather quickly. When he was hurting with a headache or strained shields, touch helped to ground him and he seemed to recover quicker.

But the idea that he was doing it even when the rest of him didn’t like it – that didn’t sit well with Tony. There had to be a way around it, didn’t there? Some way that made Spencer less uncomfortable? Tony sat back a little in his seat and tried to think it through. “Does it matter what kind of touch it is?”

“What do you mean?”

"Well, does it have to be full body contact or skin to skin? Does a larger touch have more of an effect than a small one? Like, a hand on your shoulder versus, I don't know, that thing you do where you put just your fingertips on Peter's arm?"

He watched as Spencer drew himself up a little. Discomfort faded away in the face of knowledge. That was one area where the two were startlingly alike. “I’m not sure. I don’t… sometimes, I think more contact helps. I definitely pick up more information with larger contact. But, the smaller contact helps at times, too.”

With anyone else this kind of conversation might’ve been just as emotional as the last one – and therefore something the two were both trying to avoid at the moment. However, with two scientific minds, it quickly turned into a debate on different ways to test this and what kind of data they might be able to draw out of each result, as well as the potential for results to be different with various members of the household.

As Tony let himself get lost in the science of it, he found his body relaxing back into the seat and his smile coming a lot more naturally. Spencer was doing just the same across from him. It’d been one hell of a day, one that neither one of them were going to forget, but they’d walked away learning a few things about one another. And that – that was worth it. They’d weather whatever political fallout there was when it inevitably leaked to the media that Spencer had been arrested. If this was the worst thing Spencer ever did, Tony knew he was getting off lucky. Maybe, just maybe, this whole ‘having a kid’ thing might just work out.


	2. Meeting the Bartons

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys so much for your comments/input! I'd just like to reassure all of you who put up your worries - I will NOT pair Spencer and Tony together. Don't worry. There's too much father/son there for J and I, and just, noooo.
> 
> We're sorry we haven't taken the time to reply to comments - one or both of us will try to get around to it later!

**September 2016**

For all that Spencer was leaning how to just sort of roll with the punches here in this world, there were still some days where he couldn’t help but let it get to him. More often than not over the past few weeks, he’d kept his chin up and he’d weathered his way through everything that was being thrown at him. He’d managed to at least start to find peace with the fact that he was stuck in this Universe. He’d found himself a home and a family that actually seemed to want him, amazingly enough. He’d even managed to make it through his first big media splash as Tony Stark’s kid.

Spencer went through it all and he did his damndest not to complain about any of it. He was throwing his everything into making this new life work, and so far it seemed to be going okay.

But Spencer had spent most of his life as a solitary creature. Sure, he went to work each day, and he did his job. He sometimes went out with Derek or Penelope, or the team would go out to dinner, or they’d get together at one of their houses for a nice meal. Still, at the end of the day, Spencer went home alone. And while there were times that he hated it – times that he went to Derek’s and stayed there just because he couldn’t stand the silence or the loneliness – there were also nights where he just needed to be away from everyone.

The part of Spencer that had studied psychology knew it was likely all a throwback to childhood. Things like that often were. He’d spent a lot of his childhood alone – too young for his classmates, too nerdy to be someone’s friend, too scared of attracting attention, too worried that someone might notice the things he was trying to hide – and it hadn’t gotten any better when he’d started college. It wasn’t until the BAU that Spencer had met anyone he wanted to hang out with for any extended period of time, or who wanted to hang out with him in return, and by then he’d been too used to the solitude to be fully comfortable having someone around all the time.

For weeks now Spencer had been at the Avengers Compound where there was pretty much always someone around. Even when they weren’t in the room with him, they were _there_ , or FRIDAY was there – there was always someone _right there_. There was no hiding away when he felt upset by something, no way to shut a door and shut out the world. There was always someone, be they human or electronic, and while his empathy might’ve rejoiced at the constant presence of others, Spencer felt just slightly like he was going to go mad.

Standing in his room and staring out his window at the slowly darkening sky, Spencer tried not to sigh. He needed to get out of here. Even if just for a little bit, he needed out of here. He needed _space_.

He looked at the window and it only took a second more for him to decide what to do. In the next moment he was grabbing one of the sweaters he’d stolen from Peter – a plain grey hoodie that was insanely comfortable and that swallowed Spencer’s frame perfectly – and he tugged it on as he moved towards the window that he usually exited his room from. “FRIDAY, if anyone asks, will you tell them I just went for a walk? I’ll be back before it gets too late.”

“Sure thing, little Boss,”

The title made Spencer want to roll his eyes and smile at the same time. She’d taken to using it since he’d officially become a Stark. Apparently, Tony had upgraded Spencer’s status in his home security system, and FRIDAY was responding to that as well as the behavioral changes. Of course, it could also have something to do with Tony coming home that afternoon when the adoption paperwork had cleared and loudly announcing to FRIDAY “Congratulations, baby girl, it’s official! Say hello to your new brother.”

Spencer chuckled to himself at the memory. He hopped up onto the now open window and called up his platform to give himself an easy ride down to the ground. He made sure to land a little away from the building, too, hoping to discourage anyone from following him. That was the last thing he wanted.

There were a few different trials in the trees around the property. One trail led down to the Barton home, Spencer knew. Some led to the other homes that Tony had built; homes that didn’t have any owners, yet, and that Tony said “weren’t done yet anyway”. There were also some trails that went down to towards the lake, and it was on one of those that Spencer set off. Or, at least, he hoped.

The further away he got from the building and all the emotions inside of it, the more his shoulders began to relax and lose their tension. It felt _good_ to step away.

He cast a little ball of energy up into the air in front of him to hang there and follow him like a guiding light as the night slowly darkened.

There were no real thoughts in his head as he walked. Nothing that was serious, anyways. His mind never actually _stopped_ running. But he was used to the constant stream of information and numbers that never quite stopped. It was…soothing. His thoughts were his own, his focus not snagged by anyone or anything else. There was the low hum of emotions against the edges of his shields but they were far enough away they didn’t demand his focus. He wasn’t feeling a constant flood of electrical energy around him, either.

He wasn’t quite sure how long he walked. Eventually, he came to the lake, and it felt nice to sit down on a rock at the water’s edge. It was cold, sure, but Spencer didn’t mind too much. He folded his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, the long sleeves dangling off his hands. The upcoming growth spurt could happen _anytime now,_ thank you very much. He was more than ready to quit being the shortest person around.

Spencer dropped his chin down and let it rest on his knees. Then, using the techniques he was learning from Stephen and Bruce, he started to regulate his breathing and slowly relax his body, chasing away any thoughts, any extra emotions that had slipped under his shields, he let all of it go until, finally, his body relaxed. He rolled his head enough to rest his cheek on his knee. Then he smiled. This was exactly what he’d needed. Just a little peace and quiet.

* * *

There was no telling how long Spencer had sat there. He was quite content to just let himself drift a little in the peace that he’d found.

It wasn’t until he felt something nudging at him – something low and aching, that tugged at his heart and made his stomach sour while the backs of his eyes burned – that he started to draw himself up. Even as he focused, he heard the sound of someone crashing through the trees. Not running, just… stomping? The air crackled with temper, yet it felt heavy, like some sort of grief that was tinged with regret.

He didn’t have time to wonder on it. Just moments later, someone burst through the trees about a yard away. Spencer’s eyes ran over them and immediately assessed the potential danger, only to quickly realize that there wasn’t one.

The kid – and it was definitely a kid – looked to be around twelve or thirteen. Close to Spencer’s height, a fact that made him grimace a little, though with a slightly more solid build than Spencer had. He wasn’t skin and bones, at least, though he wasn’t even close to even being husky. He had dark hair and, though Spencer couldn’t be sure, it looked like dark eyes as well. That was hard to tell in just the light of the moon. He was dressed in boots, jeans, and a sweater of his own, and he looked absolutely furious.

There was something about his emotions that felt almost, familiar. In his studies Spencer had begun to learn that each person really did have their own emotional signature. It was like he’d explained to the others once, about being in a room full of radios. He was learning how to recognize each individual song and how to pick them out of any crowd. This kid’s song, it felt familiar, only… different.

That was confusing enough that Spencer lost focus for a minute. Long enough for the other kid to notice him and immediately brace himself. “Who’re you?” The kid demanded, chest puffed out like he was trying to be tough. “You’re not supposed to be back here. This is private property.”

Spencer cocked an eyebrow at the kid. “Then what’re you doing back here?” Not that it was hard to figure out. There was only one teenaged boy that Spencer knew about that would be in this area, and who was so clearly at home here. This had to be one of Clint’s kids. The oldest one, Cooper.

One corner of Cooper’s mouth curved up into a sneer. “I live here. And if you don’t get outta here, my Dad’ll kick your ass.”

There was such bravado to that. Cooper was clearly scared and hoping to intimidate Spencer into leaving. The way he angled his body back just slightly towards the direction he’d come from made it clear that he was thinking about running. But how he’d planted his feet and curled his hands into fists, that said he wasn’t going to back down. He was a scared and hurt teenager who hadn’t ever had to deal with something like this and had absolutely no clue what he should do.

Spencer closed his eyes for a moment and silently said goodbye to his earlier peace and quiet. When he opened his eyes again, he knew they would be glowing just the slightest bit with the energy he was holding on to. It would make his reflexes just a bit faster, and that was a good thing right now, he imagined. _Just in case_. “You shouldn’t tell people that, you know.”

“Why? You scared?”

Spencer’s lips twitched. “No. However, until you said that, I wouldn’t have had any idea who you were. Giving away that your Dad is someone who could hurt me, someone who lives _here_ of all places, makes it pretty clear he’s got to be someone important up at the Compound. An Avenger, maybe? And, well, there’s only one Avenger that has kids…”

As he let his voice trail off, he saw the panic on Cooper’s face, felt it growing in his emotions, and the young genius couldn’t help but feel guilty for doing that to him.

He had to give the kid some credit, though. Cooper might’ve been terrified – it didn’t mean he was backing down. He planted his feet even more firmly and met Spencer’s gaze with a challenging glare. “I’m not scared of you.”

“You really should be,” Spencer told him. “You have absolutely no idea who I am or what I could do to you. Just because I’m young and small doesn’t mean I’m harmless.” He let the threat dance over his words just as the power sparked in his eyes. Then, slowly, he let it fade away until he was just small, quiet little Spencer Stark again. “Luckily for you, I’m not here to hurt you. I was just looking for a little peace and quiet. Kind of like I imagine you were.”

Cooper didn’t look the least bit impressed. “So who are you, then? Aside from a jerk who likes to sit in the dark and scare the shit outta people.”

This kind of attitude, this was a lot for familiar for Spencer in teenagers, unlike Peter’s easy-going acceptance when they’d first met. Spencer would’ve understood being treated like this a whole lot more. It didn’t bother him. He could feel how embarrassed and off-kilter Cooper was, as well as how angry and upset he still was under it all. Because of that, Spencer found it easy to say “I’m sorry.” He turned himself a little more towards Cooper and let some of his masks drop just enough that Cooper would be able to see the honesty on his face. “There were much nicer ways I could’ve made my point there, and I’m sorry for choosing one that scared you. I just… it’s not safe to trust random strangers, not for kids like us, with the types of parents we have.” Before Cooper could ask again, Spencer lifted a hand and gave a small wave. “Hi, I’m Spencer Stark. And you’re Cooper, right? Uncle Clint’s oldest boy?”

He’d just barely remembered that he should use ‘Uncle Clint’ instead of just Clint. Better to get into the habit so that he didn’t slip in front of the media. It was the same reason he’d taken to trying to use ‘Dad’ more often than not when talking about Tony. That one wasn’t easy – he’d had a dad, even if the man hadn’t really been around.

Realization hit Cooper’s face. He unclenched just the slightest bit while looking at Spencer with new eyes. “You’re Mr. Tony’s kid.”

Spencer huffed just a little, though he kept it quiet. “I am. We haven’t had the chance to meet yet, though I’ve met both your parents.”

“What’re _you_ doing hiding down _here_?”

Unspoken in that question was the confusion as to why Spencer would choose to be here and not up at the Compound. Just the way the kid asked, the way he looked so amazed, told Spencer that Cooper would be up there if it were up to him. There was no doubt a ton of appeal to a kid his age in being around an entire building of superheroes. “Like I said, just looking for some peace. What about you? What’re you hiding from?” Spencer carefully tried to put no judgment on those words. He didn’t want the boy clamming up on him because Spencer offended him.

Just for a second it looked like Cooper _was_ going to be offended by it. Then the offense drained away and he slumped a little. Gone was the surly kid he’d been, and Spencer marveled once more at how _trusting_ these teenagers were that he kept coming across. Seriously, did none of them understand ‘stranger danger’? Or possess even a modicum of caution? Here Spencer was, claiming to be Tony’s son, and Cooper just _believed him_. Not only that, he was relaxing enough to glare at the ground and actually open up to vent to Spencer a little, grumbling, “Just… tired of being cooped up. Mom and Dad are full of how _great_ this place is and how good it’s gonna be for us to be all together, cause we’ll get to see Dad a whole lot more now that he’s not going to be gone for months at a time all the time, but, like…”

“You miss your friends.” _That’s_ what that strange emotion was that Spencer hadn’t understood. Cooper was _homesick_.

That was all it took to get Cooper to really open up. The kid kicked at a rock and glared as it bounced into the water. “It’s just _stupid_. I don’t to see or talk to _anyone_ anymore! And now they’re talking about keeping us home and homeschooling us this year, and I don’t _want_ to be homeschooled! I can’t stay trapped in that stupid house all the time!”

School had already started this year, Spencer knew. Peter had just started a week back. Which meant that the Barton children were likely not registered if Cooper had overheard them talking about homeschooling the kids. For someone who had already been uprooted from his own home and brought here, and who was essentially _trapped_ in the Compound, the idea of not going to school was likely a miserable one. Going to school was going to be Cooper’s only chance to interact with other kids his age.

There had to be options around here for the kids to attend school and still be safe. Plenty of celebrity children went to school. It might not be _easy_ , true, but it could be done. There had to be a way. Spencer looked back up at Cooper as he asked, “Have you tried presenting them with another option, maybe?” At the kid’s incredulous look, Spencer clarified himself. “I’m not saying to set something up on your own. I’m simply suggesting you find some sort of alternative. It sounds like they don’t want you in public school, likely because of the safety risks right now, and you don’t want to be homeschooled. There’s always other options, though. Maybe if you take the time to research them and bring one of those options to their attention, they might be willing to compromise with you.”

He was pleased to note that Cooper didn’t just brush his words off. He paused, head curving to the side just a little in the exact same way that Clint did when he was focusing on a problem, and his eyes went a bit distant. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Your parents want what’s best for you, but they also want you to be happy. I’m sure they’d listen if you came up with a viable alternative. Something that you guys can both compromise and agree on.”

The area fell quiet as Cooper processed his words. That was fine by Spencer. He shifted his weight around and laid his cheek once more on his arm to wait it out as Cooper thought about what he’d said.

Their silence was broken when a breeze blew off the water and had them both shivering at the sudden cold. Cooper startled like it’d shocked him out of his thoughts. Then he looked over at Spencer and the look in his eyes this time was all Laura. It reminded Spencer of how Laura had looked when he’d been laying in the hospital bed. “It’s getting pretty cold out here. Do you… do you want to come back to the house with me for a bit? Warm up before you head back up there?”

It was likely just as long a walk to the Barton house as it was up to the main building. Faster, even, with Spencer flying. But – stunted though he may be in social situations – even he could see that there was more than just an offer of warming up here. Cooper was reaching out to the only other kid around here, and how Spencer responded would set the tone for all future interactions between them. How could he turn it down?

Smiling, Spencer nodded his head. “I’d like that, thank you.”

His body was a bit stiff as he straightened up from his perch. When he stretched himself out and joined Cooper, the path ahead of them was dark and Spencer didn’t think anything of it before he cast a ball of light above them to help lead the way. Cooper looked up with bright eyes and open wonder on his face. “ _Cool_.”

The smile Spencer wore grew a bit wider. “It comes in handy. I’m not a fan of the dark, really, so it’s sort of nice to come with my own easily-accessible night light.”

“Yeah, I bet! What else can you do?”

It was easy to answer Cooper’s questions as the two of them made their way towards the Barton house. The kid was fascinated by just about everything that Spencer told him. He seemed a bit jealous, too, which was amusing. There were times that Spencer would dearly love the feeling of being _normal_. But most of the time, he had to admit that he really loved his electrical powers, at least. It was fun to show them off just a little bit to such a captive audience as well.

* * *

Somehow going to the Barton house to ‘warm up’ had ended up being a much bigger thing than Spencer had anticipated. By the time that Clint walked into the house an hour later, Spencer was sitting on the living room floor beside Cooper, teaching him how to count cards, while Lila sat behind him putting a multitude of clips into his hair. Laura was in her chair, drinking a cup of tea and watching them all, while Nate was zooming around with his cars at her feet.

It was an amazingly domestic scene. Spencer felt Clint coming and looked up, seeing the surprise on the man’s face at the sight of them all, followed quickly by pleasure. “Well look what we’ve got here. Don’t’ you all look cozy tonight?”

Nate gave a happy cry of “Dad!” while Lila spun around on the couch to grin at her Dad – making Spencer wince a little as she tugged at the hair still in her hands. “Daddy! Look, Spencer’s letting me practice braids on his hair. See? See?”

Clint’s smile softened into one so warm and full of love it put a lump in Spencer’s throat. He paused at the back of the couch and bent down to press a kiss to Lila’s hair. “I see, sweetheart. You’re doing great.” He moved around the couch then, passing a hand over Cooper’s hair and earning a scowl that the teen didn’t really feel, which only made him smile. “Looks like you’re having fun, too, Coop.” Then he paused, eyes on the cards, and he shot Spencer a mock-suspicious look that was offset by the amusement Spencer could feel from him “Spencer Stark, are you teaching my son how to play poker?”

“No.” With anyone else, at any other time, Spencer might’ve been nervous about a question like that. However, there was just no way for him to hold on to any sense of discomfort. Not with all the warm emotions around him. Besides which, Clint was always easy to talk with, always ready with some form of teasing that invariably set Spencer at ease. Because of that, Spencer relaxed enough to actually smirk a little, his own expression a bit devious. “I’m teaching him how to _win_ at poker.”

Clint’s louder laughter mixed nicely with Laura’s low chuckles.

The archer surprised Spencer when he dropped a kiss on his wife’s lips, one on Nate’s head, and then dropped himself to the ground on the other side of the coffee table. He met Spencer’s gaze across it and grinned. “Feel like putting your money where your mouth is?”

“You sure you’re up for it?” Spencer shot back. He slanted a look at Cooper – turning his head wasn’t a good idea, Lila was tugging a little on his hair once more – and raised an eyebrow at him. “What do you say, Cooper? Feel like a little friendly fun?”

The teen actually grinned at him, no hint of his earlier stress, not even a lingering trace of the glares he’d had when Clint came in. There was just a relaxed, easy look on his face, and an honest smile on his lips. That alone would’ve been enough to convince Spencer to stay. It was part of the reason he’d stayed to begin with. Cooper needed this kind of relaxing night. Apparently, so did the rest of the Bartons.

“Nah,” Cooper finally said. His eyes sparkled a little and he shot a look at his dad. “I’d rather watch you kick Dad’s butt.”

The room erupted in laughter again while Clint flung a hand over his heart and affected a shocked and hurt look. “Coop! Such little faith in your old man?”

“What was it you said, Dad? Put your money where your mouth is.”

There was more laughter now. Spencer gathered up the cards he’d been using and quickly drew them into a pile. There was a moment of debate where he tried to figure out how he wanted to play this; hide his talent until the end, play it off like he wasn’t that great, or go in right for the win straight from the get-go? One look at the slightly smug air around Clint and Spencer had his answer. He was going to enjoy wiping the man’s smugness away. With that in mind, he set about shuffling, not even trying to hide his skill at it. His hands moved easily through the motions while he turned his head enough to peek over his shoulder at Lila. “Remember the rules, Lila.”

The little girl nodded solemnly at him. “Yep! I won’t say anything, Spencer. Promise.”

When Spencer turned back around, he saw the question on Clint’s face and explained, “I told Lila she could only play with my hair if she promised not to comment on our cards. It makes it hard to play if you have someone behind you reacting to what hand you have, or calling things out.”

“Smart move.” Clint conceded.

With a flash of a grin, Spencer snapped all the cards together. “All right. Let’s play.”

* * *

It didn’t take long for Clint to realize what kind of mistake he’d made. They chose their game, plus their bets, and despite Spencer’s shuffling skills it was obvious that Clint had still thought that his own skills – which proved to be much better than average – were going to be enough.

They weren’t.

Though, Spencer had to admit that he found there to be almost a challenge there. Clint was good and he was good at bluffing. To be fair, Spencer pulled his shields as tight as humanly possible, and he reminded Clint as they started to do the same. He didn’t want to inadvertently pick up on his excitement or disappointment over a card and use that to start guessing what kind of hand he had. Clint had been surprised by that request, and a bit contemplative, but he pulled up what little shields he’d learned from Stephen. Combined with Spencer’s own tight shields, it was enough for him to at least be able to ignore anything he drew in.

Spencer won the first game – as well as the next three.

He was grinning when he laid his hand down for the last time. Clint threw his own cards down and swore in what sounded like Farsi. He wasn’t honestly upset; Spencer didn’t even need his empathy to tell him that. Clint looked more relaxed than Spencer could ever remember seeing him. Then the archer threw himself backwards so that he was flopped on his back on the floor with his arms spread out in a pose of defeat. “I give! You’ve won, you little brat. Take your riches and leave me to sulk in peace.”

As if to protest that, Nate crawled over and climbed right onto Clint’s stomach, making him grunt. Laura just looked down at him and snorted, shaking her head. “You’re ridiculous.”

Clint rolled his head just enough to grin at her. “You love me anyways.”

“We all have our faults.” Laura shot back.

The kids were chuckling, Clint was grinning, and Laura was watching her husband with open adoration on her face. It was a warm and wonderful scene; one that Spencer knew he very much did not belong in. Yet they’d let him in anyways. They’d accepted him in here and allowed him the time to relax with them, and he was going to keep that peaceful feeling inside him as he lay in bed tonight. This might not be his family – he might only be a guest here – but for a little while they’d let him pretend. Let him feel almost like he really could belong. That was something he wouldn’t forget.

A wallet came flying with ridiculous accuracy. It hit Spencer in the forehead before he even had a chance to dodge it. When he caught it as it fell into his lap, he heard Clint say “Take what I owe you, you damn shark.”

“Swear jar!” Lila called out from behind Spencer’s head.

Everyone was laughing and Spencer was even chuckling as he took the money from Clint’s wallet. Then, trying to use the skills the man had taught him as well as the enhanced reflexes holding his powers gave him, he flung it back in the hopes of hitting him in the head as well. It would’ve worked if Clint hadn’t darted a hand out to snatch it out of the air. He sat up, one hand propping himself up on the ground while the other stuffed his wallet back into a pocket, and he grinned. “You’re getting better.”

Just because he could, Spencer deliberately folded the money up and slid it into his own pocket. “I wish I could say the same for you.”

As Cooper gave a low “ _Burn!_ ” and Laura let out another laugh, Spencer smiled softly at them. “As much fun as this has been, I should probably get back up there before To—Dad begins to wonder where I am.” He’d almost slipped there. Dammit, he was really going to have to practice this, especially if he wanted to be around anyone who didn’t know the truth. He was going to have to work hard at remembering to call the man ‘Dad’.

“I’ll walk you out,” Clint offered.

While he deposited Nate with Laura, Lila worked to pull all the various hair accessories out of Spencer’s hair. Soon enough the two were making their way out of the room, with Cooper thanking him again for coming by, and Laura calling out “Come back any time, sweetheart. You’re always welcome here.”

Spencer nodded at her and offered her a shy, honest smile. “Thank you, ma’am.”

It wasn’t until they were standing outside the front door that Clint spoke again. When he did, it was to say, “You know, Laura wasn’t lying. You’re welcome to come back any time. The kids already like you. Even Coop was smiling at you.” There was a bittersweet smile at those words, and an ache inside that Spencer couldn’t ignore.

He knew it was Clint who was bearing the brunt of Cooper’s temper. Listening to the teen talk had told him that. And while Spencer wanted to reassure him, he wasn’t sure at first on how to do it without betraying Cooper’s confidence.

“He’ll come around, you know.” Spencer said gently, feeling his way through the words. He heard the soft whisper of movement that told him Clint was turning to look at him, but Spencer deliberately kept his gaze away, staring off into the trees instead. He kept speaking, though. “Right now he’s… he’s angry at a lot of things, and he’s blaming you because he knows it’s safe. Because he, he knows that it doesn’t matter how angry he gets at you, you’re never going to go anywhere. He knows he can be as angry and terrible as he wants and you’re still going to love him at the end of the day.” It was a huge sign of the love and trust that Cooper held for the man. Clint was _safe_ for him to be mad at. The teen knew that, no matter what, his father wasn’t going anywhere.

Something about the soft way that Clint said, “Thanks, Spencer,” told him that the man understood.

* * *

When Spencer finally got back up to the Compound, he found most everyone on what Spencer had come to think of as the ‘Family Floor’. There was Tony’s floor, where they all liked to gather for meals sometimes, and then there as the family floor, which housed Spencer, Peter, Jim, Vision, and even Bruce – which he hadn’t known before. Then there were the other residential floors on the other side of the Compound, which had a staff floor and an Avengers floor.

Most of their little group – _family –_ were currently on the family floor watching a movie. Jim and Tony were on either side of the couch, Bruce was curled up in a chair with a mug in his hands and a blanket over his legs, and Vision was stretched out on a large, comfortable looking chair. Peter wasn’t there, but that wasn’t surprising. It was a school night after all.

Tony looked up at his entrance and offered him a smile, not looking at all bothered by how late Spencer was coming in.  “There you are. Have a good time?”

Despite the ease in Tony’s voice, the teen couldn’t help but feel like he should explain himself. He’d been gone a lot longer than he’d planned, after all, and he knew Tony was the type to worry more than he showed. “I ran into Cooper and he invited me back to their place for a bit.” A hint of a smile tugged at his lips. “I taught him how to win at poker. Then Clint came home and we played a few rounds.”

Tony’s own smile was growing in response to Spencer’s poor attempts at hiding his. “Now that sounds like fun. How’d you do?”

From his pocket Spencer pulled out the money Clint had handed over. He didn’t realize that everyone was paying attention until they all started laughing. Jim looked honestly impressed. “You beat Barton at poker? That takes some talent, man.”

The praise had Spencer flushing a little. He pushed the money back into his sweater pocket and shrugged, rocking on his heels just a bit. “I grew up in Las Vegas. Playing cards is just a part of living there. Plus, my father…” He paused as the words started to come out of his mouth, realizing what he’d been about to say. What stories he’d been about to tell. He fought to push those thoughts back down; he didn’t want to remember those moments, the few moments that he’d felt like he’d connected with his dad as a kid. It was the one time that Spencer really remembered his dad being proud of him, laughing as he had Spencer sit on his lap and help him play his hand at the poker table and the others would roll their eyes, only for the four-year-old to help his father clean them all out.

Clearing his throat, Spencer pushed past those memories, shoving them deep and locking them away. He passed a small smile on his face despite knowing these people likely saw how fake it was. “It also helps to have an eidetic memory and a love of numbers. By the time I was officially a member of the BAU, I was banned from casinos in Las Vegas, Laughlin, and Pahrump because of my card-counting abilities.”*

“Do I even want to ask how old you were when you joined the BAU?” Bruce asked, low and dry. His voice as easy to hear as, at some point, someone had paused the movie. “I get the feeling it wasn’t at the standard age.”

Spencer’s lips twitched a little. “I was the youngest agent ever to join the Bureau, just shy of twenty-two.”

He enjoyed the way that Tony laughed at that, and how Bruce rolled his eyes, but Jim’s blatant shock was the best reaction. “And you were already _banned_ from casinos?”

“A friend of mine took me on a run through some casinos when I turned twenty-one. It was an… eventful night.”

Again, more laughter, and the warm feeling in the room grew a little stronger, a little more like what he’d felt down at the Barton house. Only, this time, it very much included him. Spencer didn’t feel like a bystander; especially not when Tony held out a hand and used it to gesture him over. “Well, get on over here if you’re not too tired. We’re only like, ten minutes in.”

It took Spencer just a second to make his decision. He let the warm feeling inside lead him forward to join the two men on the couch. When Tony shifted his legs to let Spencer sit down, he was surprised when they only moved long enough for him to take a seat and then landed right back where they were before – right on Spencer’s lap. He cast a curious look at Tony through his hair, which got him a grin from the engineer and a snort from Jim. “You get used to it,” Jim told him. “Man’s got no concept of personal space.”

“You know you love it, honey bear!” Tony cried, batting his eyes in a way that only made the others laugh.

The lights were turned down low once more and the movie brought back on. Spencer wasn’t sure what it was, and honestly, he didn’t really care. As he settled down into the seat he felt himself slowly relaxing. There was a comforting warmth on either side of him and the atmosphere of the room was like curling up in a warm bed on a cold day. The heat wrapped safely and comfortably around him and inside of him, keeping away the chill of the outside world.

Spencer settled one of his hands over Tony’s leg, hesitant at first and then more sure when it wasn’t nudged away. He smiled a little as he sank into the cushions, legs curling up just a bit until he could plant his feet on the seat, leaving Tony’s legs in the curve between Spencer’s thigh and stomach. His eyes drifted to half-mast as he let go of everything and just relaxed. He never noticed the soft smile on Tony’s face, but he felt it as the man stretched an arm along the back of the couch and let his fingers settle into Spencer’s hair. Out of all the touches that Spencer kept trying out, this was one that they seemed to have settled on just for them. One that Spencer was starting to anticipate and automatically relax under.

Wrapped up in the feelings of home and safety, Spencer smiled and let himself just enjoy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *The line about Spencer’s card counting abilities is a quote taking from the episode “Snake Eyes”


	3. Sweet 16 Pt. 1: Jealousy

**October 2016**

Apparently, birthdays were a big deal if you were a Stark.

Peter had celebrated his birthday with Tony in the past. He’d been there for Peter’s sixteenth birthday; he’d even taken him and May out to dinner! It’d been great and wonderful and just, _amazing_. Peter had been sure there couldn’t have possibly been a better birthday. That was even with the fact that May had refused to let Tony buy Peter a car just because he was sixteen. Even still, the gifts the man had given, they’d been _amazing_ , and Peter had loved it. He’d loved even more that he was able to go out and eat with his _family_.

But, if he thought that Tony had gone overboard for _his_ birthday, it was _nothing_ compared to what was happening for Spencer’s.

Maybe it was because it was his first birthday here with them, or because it was what Tony kept calling his ‘sweet sixteen’, or maybe it was just something to do with being a Stark. Tony’s birthday parties had used to be legendary, after all. Whatever it was that was spurring this, one thing Peter knew for sure was that the party was going to be the biggest thing to happen in the social scene this year.

It was kind of funny at first to watch Spencer get flustered by all this. The idea of having so much attention on him was obviously something that the empath didn’t want. He _never_ wanted attention on him. Yet, in becoming a Stark, he’d made damn sure the attention was pretty much _always_ going to be on him no matter what he did. Seeing him get flustered as Pepper tried to pin him down for more details, trying to get him to make more decisions, watching him look pleadingly at Tony for help – yeah, Peter could admit he’d had a bit of fun with it.

Only… things had slowly stopped being funny.

The party was the only thing kids at school were talking about. There was word that Tony was going to invite some teenagers so that there were people there close to Spencer’s age. Just the idea of being invited to a party thrown by Tony Stark was enough to have the whole school in an uproar. And Peter, who everyone knew interned for the man, and who’d been photographed in public with him before, was suddenly bombarded with people trying to make friends with him or pry details out of him.

Even _Ned_ had taken to babbling about it. “It’s so _cool_ , man. Even if he doesn’t end up inviting the school, you’ll end up going, right? Will you take me as your plus one? I gotta be your plus one, Peter, you’ve got to take me!”

Everywhere Peter went, it felt like all anyone was talking about was Spencer’s party. And, Peter was happy for him, he was. Spencer deserved nice things! It was just… he didn’t know. He didn’t know why his stomach twisted up a little when he had to listen to people talk about it too much. But he was dealing with it! He was! Well… sort of. Most of the time.

Sometimes, it wasn’t as easy. Sometimes, he had to fight the urge to snap at just the word ‘ _party’_.

It might not have been so bad if he’d had some sort of escape from it. If it hadn’t felt like _every time_ Peter stopped by the Compound now, everyone there was talking about it as well. They were either talking about Spencer’s party, or what to get for Spencer, or whether they thought Spencer was going to be able to handle that many people…

Peter hated himself a little for it, but sometimes he found himself wanting to scream if he had to hear Spencer’s name just _one more time_.

It was terrible and made him feel like the worst kind of friend. What kind of asshole got jealous over someone paying more attention to their friend than to them? Spencer had been dealt a really crappy hand – of course everyone wanted to make sure he settled in okay! They cared about him. _Peter_ cared about him. They all wanted to help him settle in and feel at home here and less like he didn’t belong, which Peter knew Spencer still felt like more often than not.

Being jealous made Peter feel like the biggest jerk in the world. It was just… he missed how it had been before, sometimes. He missed coming in and hanging out with Colonel Rhodes, or talking to Vision, or going down to the workshop with Tony and watching him work. Or, better yet, working on something _with him_ , just the two of them. Peter _missed_ it. Lately, it felt like Spencer was everywhere. Like… like he was taking Peter’s place.

After all, why need the pseudo-kid when Tony had an _actual_ kid now?

* * *

For the most part Peter felt like he was hiding his jealousy well enough. The party wasn’t that far away – soon it would happen and then it’d be _over_ and everyone could move on, and maybe he’d finally be able to let go of this feeling. Maybe then the jealousy – and the guilt he felt over that jealousy – would finally leave him alone.

Of course, in all his worrying about this, he’d forgot to worry about one important point.

You can’t exactly hide emotions from an empath.

Peter had been working hard on keeping all his feelings to himself and he was pretty sure that he’d done an okay job. Right up until one evening just about a week before Spencer’s birthday. The young genius had taken to being even quieter than normal lately, and Peter knew it worried Tony, just like it was worrying everyone else in varying degrees. Honestly, it was worrying Peter a bit, too. He knew that Spencer was the type to want solitude sometimes, and to not talk as much as others, but this was more than that. This kind of quiet held a strange sort of weight to it that had them all watching him discreetly.

For that reason, Peter had pushed aside his own feelings to come out here tonight and visit. He had May’s permission to stay the night and everything.

If Peter were being honest with himself, which only made the guilt grow a bit more and squirm uncomfortably with that weird jealous feeling still inside him, their evening so far had been exactly what Peter needed. Once Peter got out of school for the day, he’d come here and Spencer had ushered them pretty quickly into his bedroom. After that, they’d mostly just… hung out. Spencer ended up curled up in his window seat writing something out in a spiral notebook while Peter took the desk to do his homework on.

Neither one really said anything for the couple hours they were in there. Not even FRIDAY disturbed them at first. Not until she suddenly called out “Little Boss? Doc says to let you know dinner’s just about done, and Boss says you two better hurry on out there before he eats it all.”

The sound of Spencer’s pencil stopped its scratching. When Peter looked up, he thought he caught a glimpse of something on Spencer’s face, a hint of an emotion that Peter couldn’t quite name, and then it was gone as if it’d never been there. Spencer smiled at the window and nodded his head. “Of course. Let Dad and Uncle Bruce know we’ll be out shortly, please, FRIDAY.”

“Of course, little Boss.”

Peter couldn’t help how his eyebrows rose up. He watched Spencer as the other teen closed up his notebook and slid his pencil into the spiral on the side. When Spencer turned and caught him staring, he arched an eyebrow in silent question. Peter couldn’t resist answering that with a question of his own? “Dad? Uncle Bruce?”

“Oh.” Color briefly flooded Spencer’s cheeks. He fiddled with the notebook and darted his gaze down to it. “I, um… I found it’s easier to remember to use those titles in public if I, ah, I practice them, you know? I don’t to slip up and accidentally call him Tony when I’m supposed to be saying Dad. It just seemed, well, it seemed easier.” Spencer snapped his mouth closed and Peter swore he could _see_ as his friend fought to keep from babbling.

There was a strange feeling bubbling up in Peter’s stomach that he didn’t really have a name for. The jealousy he’d been feeling lately was _worse_ , mixing in with something else, something that felt a bit like _hurt_ , maybe, or _anger._

He didn’t see Spencer’s small flinch. When Peter finally looked up again, Spencer was clutching his notebook in his hands, his expression carefully blank as he stared out the window. There was a strangely electric feeling in the air that kept Peter quiet. He watched as Spencer drew in a slow breath and turned his head away a little more until Peter could only see one side of it. When he finally did speak, it was the last thing Peter had expected to hear. “I’m not trying to take him from you.”

“W-What?” Peter stammered out. _Oh, God, how did he know? Does Tony know? Do all of them? Are they all laughing at me, getting jealous over my friend? Oh God, oh God._ “W-What’re you talking about?”

Spencer turned his head enough to give Peter an understanding look that made him feel young and small despite him being the bigger of the two. It was a look that said he could see right past any of the bullshit Peter was trying to throw his way. Not only that, but he _understood_. There was no judgment there in Spencer’s expression. Just understanding and something so _sad_ it stole Peter’s breath away. “Tony took me in because, despite what others might say about him, he’s a _good_ person and he won’t stand by when there’s even a hint of a chance he might be able to help. The fact that I look so young only stirs that instinct in him even more. But it doesn’t mean that I’m taking your place in his life. You’re like a son to him, Peter, in far more important ways than a slip of paper or a last name. Nothing is going to change that.”

The jealousy was starting to fade a little, squished down by the weight of _guilt_. “Spencer… he cares about you, too, you know.” He had to know that!

“Of course he does,” Spencer agreed easily. Before Peter could feel at least a little better, Spencer kept going and that sick and guilty feeling in Peter’s stomach grew. “Like I said, that’s just the kind of person he is. I’m young looking and in pain, and he’s been cast into the role of protector or guardian. It’s only natural he’s going to feel some form of affection towards his charge. We’re even managing to make ourselves quite the friendship here. One that I think we’ll both enjoy. The circumstances behind this might not have started out that great, yet we’re making the best of them. For better or worse, I’m his child now, in his eyes and the eyes of the world. But you, Peter? He _chose_ you.” Then he turned smiled at Peter so openly and honestly happy for him. Like his words were meant as some sort of gift and Peter should be happy about it.

There was no way Peter could speak past the lump that put in his throat. All he could do was sit there silently as Spencer pushed up from his chair and came over to set his notebook down on the table. He reached out as he did and lightly touched Peter’s shoulder in his version of a shoulder pat. Then the other teen was turning to head over towards the bathroom, calling out “I’m going to go wash up a bit. Why don’t you go make sure no one eats all the food before I get there?”

Peter wanted to call Spencer back out here. He wanted to reassure him that he was wrong, so wrong, that Tony cared about him a whole lot more than he seemed to realize. But there were no words. Peter couldn’t say anything as he watched Spencer walk into the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

For a moment Peter could only sit there and stare at the closed door. It wasn’t until FRIDAY said his name softly, a low “Peter” that he finally managed to stir. He instinctively looked up towards the ceiling, a habit that Tony always laughed at. FRIDAY’s voice was gentle when she spoke again. “Boss is waiting for you.”

Right. Right, he was supposed to be getting up. Going to eat dinner. Peter mechanically turned and closed up his books and pushed them to the side before he climbed up to his feet. His body moved on auto-pilot while his thoughts were racing around inside his head. Was that really how Spencer felt? Like he was… like he was some sort of burden? Something Tony did because he couldn’t resist helping people? Did he really feel like second best to _Peter_? “ _But you, Peter? He_ chose _you._ ” Those words played over in Peter’s head as he silently left the room and they made his stomach twist even more.

He barely even noticed that he was walking out towards the kitchen. Not until someone spoke and startled him out of his thoughts.

“Peter?” The sound of his name had Peter looking up. He found Tony striding towards him, a coffee cup almost carelessly set down on the island bar, and then the man himself was right there in front of Peter, one hand curling over that curve between shoulder and neck in a grip that was strong and steadying and so very grounding. It made Peter feel anchored in place and just a bit more secure. Using that hold, Tony bent a little until he could catch Peter’s eye, and there was so much concern all over his face. Peter might not have Spencer’s empathy – he still knew Tony. “You okay, kid? What’s wrong?”

Peter looked up at the open concern and affection that was so plainly written all over Tony’s face, something he couldn’t deny after Spencer’s words back there – _he_ chose _you_ – and he wondered how he’d doubted that for any reason at all. “Have you…” Pausing, Peter tried to find the words he wanted. “Have you ever done something kind of stupid, only you, you didn’t _know_ it was stupid until later, and now things are okay but they’re weird and you feel like you’ve got to apologize for it somehow, only you’ve got, like, no idea how to do it and the other person probably doesn’t even think there’s an apology needed anyways?”

It only took a second for Tony to sift through the babble and play it all back in his head. Once he did, his brow furrowed a little and his gaze briefly darted back towards the hallway where Peter had come from. When he looked back at Peter, his expression was a whole lot softer than the world would’ve ever given him credit for. “We all make mistakes, Peter. Sometimes, there’s no one out there who makes us feel worse about them than ourselves.”

“So what do I do?”

“You can apologize, if you really feel like you need to.” The smile on Tony’s face softened just a bit into something that chased away some of the ache that Peter was feeling. It was a smile that kind of made him feel like he was okay. “He’ll listen, even if he doesn’t believe it’s necessary for you to say, and you know he’s already forgiven you for it. That’s half the battle right there, kid. The rest of it, well… all you can do is learn from whatever happened and hope that next time, you don’t make the same mistake.”

For someone who didn’t really know what the situation was, Tony gave pretty good advice. Peter found himself relaxing as Tony tucked him under one arm and tugged him over to the kitchen with everyone else. With Tony back in the mix, laughing and talking and tugging Peter along with him, the room felt a little fuller, and the mood a little happier.

Everyone was talking and laughing when Spencer crept into the room. Peter was the first to see him and he felt himself smiling – really, honestly smiling at him. The surprised look he got for that was a bit painful, as was the bright and pleased smile that he got in return. That right there, more than anything else, brought home just how much Spencer had been noticing about Peter’s moods lately, and the teen almost started to feel guilty all over again before he squashed it down. Feeling guilty wasn’t going to help. Not when he knew Spencer would pick up on it all night long and likely find a way to make it out to be something he’d done. No, Peter wasn’t going to do that to him. Instead, he was going to try and start to make things up to him.

As they sat down at the table, Peter took his place between Spencer and Jim and made sure to nudge the other teen as he sat down. When Spencer smiled hesitantly at him, Peter grinned right back, and he could actually see as the last of Spencer’s tension faded away.

When Peter looked up, he found Tony was smiling as well, open and warm and bright in ways that had so rarely happened since Peter had met him. Earlier in the day, Peter’s jealousy might’ve grown at that sight, assuming that it was just Spencer that was garnering that look. Only now, Peter could see what it really was. He could see the way that Tony directed it at the both of them.

 _He_ chose _you,_ Spencer had said. Watching the proud and warm look that Tony was directing to the two teens, Peter couldn’t help but think, _He chose you too, Spencer. Even if you don’t realize it yet._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it looks like our pairings are down to this:  
> Tony/Bruce  
> Tony/Loki  
> Tony/Pepper
> 
> and
> 
> Spencer/Loki  
> Spencer/Remy  
> Spencer/Remy/Loki (shhh, weird I know, but it was suggested and I'm madly in love with this, I'm a huge poly shipper!)
> 
> So, those are our final options everyone :)
> 
> I hope you like this story so far and I hope you continue to enjoy what we bring you!


	4. Sweet Sixteen Pt. 2

This was going to be a disaster. That was the only thing Spencer could think of as he stood in front of a mirror and carefully tied his tie. This was going to be an absolute _disaster_. How on earth had he let Tony talk him into this whole ridiculous sham of a birthday party? Spencer was a complete idiot when it came to interacting with people. The more of them there were, the worse he was. How on earth was he going to make it through tonight? He was going to embarrass himself and Tony both!

A light rap of knuckles against his door drew Spencer out of his spiraling thoughts. He drew in a breath and tried to compose himself quickly before he called out “Come in!”

The next second the door was opening and Bruce stuck his head in. He smiled at the sight of Spencer still in front of the mirror. As he pushed the door open and let himself in, he let his eyes run over Spencer’s slender form and the suit he’d put on. Black, fitted slacks, a dark, rich purple silk shirt, and over it was a black vest. The outfit itself was comfortable to Spencer; suits were always comfortable to him. The fact that the materials were the softest thing he’d ever felt, and that one piece of this probably cost more than half his wardrobe back ho—back _there_ , well, he didn’t let himself think about that.

“Wow,” Bruce praised, his smile growing. “You look great, Spencer.”

Spencer just barely resisted the urge to snort. He finished off the last of the tie and carefully tucked it down inside the vest. “I look like myself, just richer.”

He got a low chuckle out of Bruce for that. The doctor walked up to him and stood at his side, close without being too close, something that he was really good at. “True. You’re the only teenager I know that likes wearing suits.”

“I’ve always preferred slacks to jeans, though my taste on shirts varies a little depending on what I’m doing or how I’m feeling. But suits… suits were always comfortable, and have become infinitely more so as I grew older.” Tie now in place, Spencer turned to look at Bruce, and he felt his own features soften into a warmer smile. Bruce was dressed up as well with black slacks and a dark green shirt that fit him a lot better than his clothes usually did. His hair was just a bit curlier tonight, and still slightly damn, and he’d shaved. “You look great, too… Uncle Bruce.”

With the others in the Compound, using ‘Uncle’ was a way of helping Spencer remember what role he had here, so that he didn’t forget it while out in public. With Bruce… with Bruce it was sort of fun to do simply because of the stunned delight that the genius felt every single time, as well as the way it tended to make him flush just the slightest bit, or even start to stammer.

“You kidding me?” Another voice chimed in suddenly. “He _always_ looks great.”

The sense of Tony in Spencer’s mind had alerted him that his father figure was coming towards them. That meant that he didn’t startle at the man’s entrance, though Bruce did. Bruce also happened to blush even more than he already had been, and he felt both pleased and shy by Tony’s words. Most likely he thought they were just Tony teasing, like he did with most everyone else. Spencer wondered sometimes if he should mention to Bruce the _intent_ he could feel behind Tony’s words. Other times he wondered if even Tony recognized his own intent.

It wasn’t his place to step in, though. Just because he could feel the emotions of others didn’t give him the right to comment on them.

However, it also didn’t mean that he had to stand there and be subjected to the awkwardness of it. With that in mind he took a small step back and cleared his throat a little. He couldn’t resist giving Tony a look, though, when the engineer caught his eye – a slight eye roll that he hoped let Tony know just how ridiculous he thought the man was being. He was pretty sure the message got across when he felt a hint of embarrassment from him. True to form, it didn’t bug Tony for long. He was smiling almost instantly and made an adjustment to his own suit. “Then again, we all look pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. They won’t know what hit them.”

 _They aren’t the only ones_. Spencer’s nerves came back with a vengeance as he was once more reminded where they were all heading out to. Telling Tony that he was fine doing this, that he understood why, was one thing. Actually having to step out of here and go do it was proving to be something else entirely. Something that he really, really needed to work up the courage to do.

He only flinched a little when Tony came up to stand beside him. Bruce took a step back quietly, making room for Tony to get right up beside Spencer. The engineer paused at Spencer’s flinch, head tilted just a little in silent question, and Spencer couldn’t help how he smiled at that. Until he’d come here he’d never met people so intent on getting into his personal space while also being so respectful of his preferences and boundaries.

As soon as he got the smile and nod that let him know it was really okay, Tony curled his arm around Spencer’s shoulder and tugged him in close to his side. Spencer didn’t hesitate to wrap his arm around Tony’s waist in turn. “You’ll be all right, kid,” Tony reassured him. He dipped his head down a little – not as far as he once had, Spencer was more than thrilled to find he’d grown at least an inch and a half! – and his eyes were twinkling with the warmth and affection that his emotions were so easily conveying to Spencer. “I know this isn’t really your thing, an it’s a bit of a pain in the ass, but I’ll make it up to you.”

“You don’t have to do that. I knew things like this were going to be part and parcel of being your son.” And he had known that. Spencer had made an informed decision when he agreed to this. He knew what he was getting into. “You don’t have to ‘make it up’ to me.” Shrugging a little, Spencer leaned in against Tony’s side just a bit more. He indulged himself just a bit in closing his eyes and soaking up the comfort that was still such a surprise to find. “I’m quite content with what we have. If it means I occasionally have to do galas and benefits and press conferences, I consider it a price I’m more than willing to pay.” If it meant that he got to have this? Yeah, Spencer could do it. Reminding himself of that had him relaxing just a little more.

The room was quiet for a moment while the others processed Spencer’s words. Spencer could feel Tony’s pleasure at his words like it was the summer sun peeking out from behind the clouds. At the same time, he cleared his throat, obviously embarrassed or unsure how to respond.

Spencer decided to save him from stammering out some sort of reply. Smiling, he straightened himself up and pulled away from Tony to go to his bed so he could sit down and put his shoes on. “Now that we’re almost there, are you at least going to let me know who you invited, or what exactly I can expect out of this? You’ve been oddly closemouthed about it all.”

With his head down, he missed the look that Tony was giving him as he grabbed the pair of black converse high-top shoes and tugged them on. They weren’t anywhere near as comfortable as his old ones, but he’d broken them in well enough that they were pretty comfortable now. Much more comfortable than whatever ridiculous shoes people expected someone to wear with a suit.

Shaking his head, Tony chose not to comment on that – smart, on his part. It wouldn’t have done anything. He focused instead on answering Spencer’s question. “It’s not going to be anything all that special. Not by usual Stark standards, really. Some dinner, some dancing, that’s it. It’ll be a lot easier than you’re thinking, I promise. An there’s no booze, so you won’t have any of those worries. The rest of it, well, you’ll just have to wait and find out, won’t you?”

A sigh slid from Spencer. He shook his head and pushed himself up to his feet. Amused indulgence was clear on his face. “You’re utterly ridiculous, you’re aware of that, correct?”

“Are you just now figuring that out?” Bruce joked.

Slapping a hand over his heart, and putting on his most affronted look, Tony instantly began to argue with them about how _awesome_ he was, and Spencer couldn’t help but grin, sharing an amused look with Bruce as the trio made their way out of Spencer’s room.

* * *

Almost the entire family rode to the party together. They had a limo that was being driven by the one being Tony said he actually trusted behind the wheel of a car for him – Happy – and the rest of them were sprawled out through the back of the rather luxurious limo. Tony, Spencer, Bruce, Clint, Laura – the kids were at home with Vision as their babysitter, much to Cooper’s annoyance – Jim, and Pepper. Everyone was dressed up, though Tony took great pleasure in teasing Clint over the fact that the man was in a suit and still managed to look like he’d just rolled out of bed.

The atmosphere of the car was a relaxed one and jokes were easy-going and plentiful. To be honest, Spencer would’ve been content with just this for his birthday. It was what he’d had with his teammates – his family – back home.

Thinking of them brought a pang to Spencer’s heart. He had to turn his head towards the window to hide any signs of it that might’ve slipped onto his face. The last thing he wanted was to bring anyone else down with his own memories and grief. He didn’t want them to worry about him. That didn’t mean that he wasn’t aching a bit inside, though. There would be no dinner with his team tonight. No meal cooked by Rossi, no sitting around the table and telling stories and laughing, no playing with the kids in the yard and showing off a few magic tricks to make their eyes light up, no phone call with his mother, none of Penelope’s ‘super special, freaking amazing!’ pumpkin cheesecake. All the little things and rituals that had been a part of his life these past years, not a one of them would be present tonight.

 _There’s no point in worrying about it. Sulking won’t change it,_ he reminded himself. Drawing in a steadying breath, Spencer looked back at the others in the limo, watching as they continued with some story of Clint’s that had them all laughing. _Maybe it’s time to make some new memories and new traditions_.

He felt Clint’s foot nudge against his. It could’ve been an accident if it weren’t for the way it hooked behind his ankle and held on briefly. When Spencer looked up, the archer smiled and winked at him and then went back to his story. That quiet acknowledgment of his mood, a subtle way of letting him know it was seen, had Spencer relaxing just a bit more. He wasn’t alone. That was something to hold on to. He wasn’t alone.

The positive emotions he soaked up during their car ride definitely came in handy when they arrived and it was time to get out. There were reporters everywhere and Spencer could hear them before they even opened the doors. Tony cast Spencer one last look. Worry made small lines around his eyes but was otherwise hidden. “You ready for this, little doc?”

Hearing the nickname that FRIDAY often liked to give him had Spencer’s lips twitching even as he rolled his eyes. He was going to find a way to get her back for introducing that nickname to everyone. “I’m ready.”

“All right then, ladies and gents. Let’s do this.”

Walking through the press was something that Spencer had slowly started to get used to. They tended to be everywhere – especially if Tony was there – and as Spencer became more recognizable to them, they flocked to him more and more as well. Between his own masks and careful observation of both Tony and Pepper, Spencer had gotten a lot better at adopting the image he wanted them to see. This time it was a shy teenager, slightly shy, pleased, and excited for what lay ahead.

He moved to Tony’s side after they stepped out of the car. The sunglasses they both wore were good for more than aesthetics; they kept the flashes of light from blinding them as they walked their way forward, waving as they went like this were some sort of parade. Questions were being shouted all over the place and people were calling out to them or just plain screaming.

Spencer had learned to pay them all no mind. He’d been warned by Pepper “Stopping to talk to them in these kinds of situations only encourages the others to get more brazen in the hopes you’ll be forced to talk to them too. There are times to talk and times to just keep moving forward.”

Eventually, they made their way through the gauntlet and Spencer found himself stepping inside the the rather _beautiful_ Plaza Hotel. Their coats were checked and then Spencer found himself flanked by Tony and Jim as they were led inside. “Ready?” Jim murmured to him. One corner of his mouth was quirked up and his eyes were sparkling.

Spencer drew in a careful breath. “No.” Still, it didn’t stop him from moving forward and making his way inside, mask already firmly in place. It was time.

* * *

The Grand Ballroom was where they were set up, and Spencer had to admit that he was both amazed and slightly in awe of what they’d done with the room. He’d been afraid that the whole night was going to feel like one big sham; a part he was going to play for the masses. What he found when he walked in had him thinking to himself that he should really trust Pepper a whole lot more. She’d been the main force behind organizing this and what she’d done – it was amazing.

The ballroom was decorated in a style that was most definitely influenced by Spencer’s tastes. Everything was in deeper jewel tones, from the amethyst tablecloths and the dark sapphire glasses, to the lights on the walls sand the purple and golden centerpieces. Tables were set up on all sides of the room in such a way that left not only the middle of the room open for dancing, but gave everyone a clear view of the stage where a band was setting up. Already, the sounds of Bach’s cello suite #1 were echoing around them.

There were people aplenty already there, all of them turning to look at their entrance, yet Spencer couldn’t help but look around at the room that he had been so afraid would be big and empty and cold, and which somehow magically seemed like some sort of warm, magical oasis that was far more intimate than he thought something like this could manage.

He couldn’t stop himself from turning an open and wide smile to Pepper, who actually blinked a little in surprise at that look. “Thank you.”

Warmth softened her face and had her smiling back at him. “Happy birthday, Spencer.”

Tony’s hand settled onto his shoulder. When Spencer looked over, he found the older man’s expression softened into something that usually only ever was there around Peter. Seeing it had Spencer smiling up at him. There were a few flashes of cameras – some of the more discreet paparazzi had been allowed in to ‘document’ things, plus there was no telling who would pull out their phones for pictures – but Spencer paid them no mind. The more pictures of the two of them, the better. Good publicity was always welcome.

That hand stayed on Spencer’s shoulder as the father and son pair made their way into the room.

There were a lot of people here that Spencer had never met before. Others that he knew through Tony’s company, or through his dealings with the Accords. Spencer was the perfect politicians son and he greeted them all and thanked them for their birthday wishes. Thanks to Tony’s presence at his side, and the fact that Tony had always been a bit eccentric, no one seemed to think it strange when Tony stopped them from shaking Spencer’s hand, or when Spencer simply waved in response to an outstretched hand. Rumor had already begun to spread about “the young Stark’s weird quirks”, which included the fact that he wasn’t all that found of touching anyone.

Not everyone was easy to put off, though. One person that Spencer found himself being introduced to – a man named Edward Marion who was the CEO of a company Tony was currently trying to do business with – seemed to have a hard time understand the concept of ‘personal space’. He kept trying to lean in close and was repeatedly reaching out like he was going to touch Spencer’s arm or something like that.

Help came from a surprising source. Just as Spencer was ready to find some sort of excuse to leave, and Tony was starting to look ready to commit murder, a voice interrupted them. “Well if it aint the birthday boy.”

A smile was already stretching over Spencer’s face as he turned to look towards the source of that voice. He hadn’t recognized the presence, what with so many other people in the room, but he knew the sound of that voice from the few visits they’d shared. When he spun around and found Logan walking towards him, the Professor not far behind him, Spencer was beaming. To his embarrassment, he had to fight the urge to leap at him for a hug, something that was definitely not Spencer’s usual style. “Logan! Hey!”

The feral man didn’t seem to hold any of Spencer’s reservations. “What, is that all I get? Just a ‘hey’?” He spread his arms out wide and grinned at the young genius. “Get your ass over here.”

Spencer couldn’t help himself. He’d come to accept that Logan’s presence felt so much better to him than anyone else he knew. The urge was always there to grab on to him and not let go. To just curl up in the purity of his emotions. With Logan here openly offering him the chance, and Spencer’s empathy thrilled to find something better than the slimy businessmen it’d encountered so far, he was moving before his brain could even catch up. In one leap he closed the distance between the two and was caught up easily in Logan’s arms.

People around them laughed as the short feral caught Spencer and lifted him in a hug that brought his feet up off the ground. Even better than the arms around him was the _emotions_ that Spencer found himself wrapped up in.

The image they presented to those around them was probably a strange one. Logan, even in the slacks and button-up he put on, still looked _wild_. The sharp-toothed grin that he had didn’t help matters, either. Yet Spencer had leapt on him, after almost twenty minutes of refusing to even shake hands with anyone else.

Tony made a low, amused sound as the two drew back from their hug. “Oh, the PR team is gonna _hate_ you, kid.”

Laughter, low and easy, came from beside them. Charles had come forward while the two were hugging, and he smiled up at them now, his eyes alight with humor. “I can see the headlines now. You’ll be accused of corrupting him, I have no doubt, Logan.”

Even as Spencer flushed, drawing his hands backwards, Logan snorted and gave a casual shrug. “Let ‘em say what they want. I don’t care about the press, Professor. You know that.”

“You really should,” Spencer said. He had made himself let go of Logan, though just standing next to him was nice enough. It helped his emotions even out a little more and had him smiling ever so slightly in a way he didn’t even notice he was doing. He slanted a look at his friend and gave a small shake of his head. “Good press can make or break some things. You and your friends would probably come off a lot better with a proper PR team.”

This time it was Tony’s turn to snort. He was smiling as well when Spencer turned towards him. “Good luck with that, kid. I haven’t been able to convince a few of them of that quite yet. Especially this one here.”

Hmm. Spencer’s mind raced ahead of him as he cast a contemplative look at Logan. Tonight’s social moment would be an easy fix in the press. All it would take were a few more strategically done pictures, a few stories to the right people about his time at Xavier’s and how a certain teacher there had taken him under his wing, helping him when he was grieving, maybe even slip in an Uncle Logan and then flush and try to quickly backtrack, and before the day was done tomorrow the press would be running the story of the gruff yet kind man at Xavier’s School who had taken a grieving kid and helped him out. They’d probably have all sorts of stories to tell about it. Sure, there’d still be the ones out there trying to call Logan a pedophile, but they’d manage it.

“You’re going to have to be aware of it if you wish to continue to see the young Mr. Stark,” Charles said firmly, though not unkindly. “The last thing we need is one of the teachers at our school being accused of being a pedophile.”

Still caught up in his plans – mentally assessing who was there and how best to execute his plan – Spencer absently corrected “Ephebophile.”

“What?”

He wasn’t sure who asked it, and he didn’t bother trying to figure it out as he answered them. “Ephebophile. A pedophile is classified as someone who fantasizes about or engages in sexual activity with children. The next step up would be a hebephile, which is classified as a person who is primarily attracted to adolescents in the age range of eleven to fourteen years old. With my physical age, any adult showing sexual interest in me would be classified as an ephebophile – a person primarily attracted to late or post adolescents, generally between the ages of fifteen and nineteen.”

When Spencer turned his focus back to the group with him, he found both Charles and Logan staring at him with surprise. They hadn’t had the opportunity to witness him rambling or spouting out random facts. Tony, however, was well used to it, and he was grinning openly at Spencer. He seemed to like it when Spencer shared the random facts he knew. It was… weird.

Flushing a little under their looks, Spencer slipped his hands into his pockets and tried not to rock on his heels, a habit that he’d once done so much as a teen and sadly seemed to have picked up once more. He tried to quickly distract them from his ridiculous rambling by – rather stupidly – starting an entirely different ramble. “I wouldn’t worry too much about what the press is going to say. It’s not that hard to manipulate them into an image that you want them to gain, really. All it takes is steering conversations in the right direction as well as making sure that a few carefully worded conversations are overheard by the ones you want to hear you, and you can make sure that the story you want is the one to go out.”

“I take back my earlier statement,” Tony said, his grin never faltering. He reached out and slung an arm around Spencer’s shoulders, tugging him in for a sideways hug. “The PR team is gonna _love_ you, Pikachu.”

Anything else that might’ve been said was cut off when someone finally broke through the crowd and, without giving a care to proper behavior or anything like that, came bounding up towards them.

Peter was dressed in a suit that Spencer knew Tony had bought for him – the two had gone out alone to shop for it together as part of an afternoon for just the two of them, one that Spencer had happily encouraged – and it looked good on him, with the dark red vest and tie. But it was his bright and wide grin that really made him stand out. He looked so _happy_ as he almost bounced his way up to them with two people trialing behind him that Spencer just knew had to be the infamous Ned and Michelle he’d heard so much about.

“Spencer!” With his usual good cheer, which had made a comeback suddenly after weeks of quiet, Peter came to a stop in front of Spencer and _beamed_ at him. Unlike Logan, he didn’t hold his arms out, and he didn’t reach out to Spencer like Tony often did. He was still, out of everyone that Spencer now knew, the absolute best when it came to respecting Spencer’s physical boundaries. He knew just how hard Spencer was working to overcome those, how much he was trying to make himself touch the way his empathy wanted, and he respected it while at the same time still keeping from pushing it. He let Spencer be the one to reach out if he wanted.

Though he didn’t reach out, he _did_ start babbling almost instantly, not even giving Spencer a chance to say anything to him. “There you are, man. Happy birthday! This party is, like, seriously awesome. Super classy, though. I feel like I’m gonna break _something_ and then Aunt May’s gonna give me that look – you know that look! Have you seen her around? She’s here and you won’t _believe_ this… she brought a date! A _date_!” Peter sounded scandalized by the idea.

Spencer’s eyebrows shot up at that. He didn’t even pay any attention to the way the others were looking at Peter because of his rapid-fire speech. “May brought a date? Who? The last I heard, she was curious about that man down at the mart, but he wasn’t looking to date.” He’d been looking for something else, which Spencer had never told Peter. Nor would he. The last thing the teen needed to know was that the guy had been only after May’s body. May had been utterly thrilled and complimented by it, to be honest, and Spencer had just laughed and left her to it.

“I don’t even know. This new guy down at the butcher place? It’s his brother or something like that. I don’t know, she didn’t really tell me much about him. But, man, the guy’s like…” Peter spread his arms out like he was trying to make himself look larger. “He’s built like a brick house. Not fat or anything, I wouldn’t sit here and call someone fat, you know that, I’m not rude like that. He’s just, _huge_. Solid.”

Peter’s friends had reached him by now. The boy, Ned, was looking at them all with open nervousness and awe all over him, while the girl, Michelle, was rolling her eyes at Peter’s words. “Breathe, Peter. I hear it’s something humans need to do.”

There was affection underneath the snark, and intelligence in her eyes, and Spencer decided in that instant that he liked her. He’d already figured that he would just by what Peter had told him. But as he looked at her, he was even more sure. She was intelligent, according to Peter, and had a sharp tongue, but she was supposedly funny and loyal and more kind than she let on to people. She was also _different_ , as Peter had put it. Not like other girls. Looking at her, Spencer could see that.

The two boys shared a look before Peter turned to defend himself to Michelle. Later, Spencer would go and see May and this guy she’d brought with her, and Spencer would see what he could see about them. That was easy enough. It wasn’t like May wouldn’t ask his opinion anyways.

The adults sort of faded away as Peter pulled Spencer forward to officially meet his friends. Spencer caught Tony’s eye briefly; the man winked at him before stepping away to talk with someone that Spencer didn’t recognize. Smiling, Spencer turned his focus back to the teens in front of him, both of whom were watching him with interest.

“Oh my God,” Ned breathed out, the words low and almost squeaking a little. “You’re Volt. You’re _Volt_. That’s so _cool_!”

Michelle rolled her eyes at him, too. But she fixed Spencer with a probing look that, were he an actual teenager, might’ve made him squirm a little. “Heard a lot about you lately.”

“I’ve heard a lot about you guys, too.” Spencer kept his hands in his pockets and smiled, hoping he didn’t look anywhere near as awkward as he felt. These two people were Peter’s closest friends and they meant quite a lot to him. Making a good impression on them was important.

He should’ve realized that Peter wouldn’t let it be awkward for long, though. Or, at least, that he’d somehow find a way to turn the awkward on himself. Of course, Spencer hadn’t expected him to do it by shuffling forward and almost knocking over a woman who was trying to make her way past Spencer. The two stumbled and it took both Peter and Spencer’s fumbling efforts to help make sure that the woman didn’t fall. “I’m so sorry!” Peter was apologizing, horrified and embarrassed.

The woman gave them a condescending look and snapped out “Watch where you’re going!” before she spun and marched away.

Spencer bit the inside of his cheek to stop the chuckle that wanted to break free. He almost lost control of that when he turned around and found Michelle and Ned both grinning. Ned was trying to hide it, coughing and covering his mouth, but Michelle had no such qualms. She was grinning at them, and was that a look of fondness on her face as she looked at Peter to tease him, “Way to go, Peter.”

“Oh man, I’m pretty sure I pissed her off.” Peter looked in the direction the woman had gone, torn between amusement and lingering embarrassment.

The urge to laugh grew stronger. Spencer cleared his throat to chase it away, though his eyes twinkled with it. “I think we both did.”

“I don’t think she even knew who you were.” Michelle said.

Peter and Spencer caught one another’s eye, and that was it. There was no more holding back. The two started laughing, almost immediately joined by the other teens, and Spencer felt himself start to truly relax as he and Peter leaned against one another a bit. If this was how the night was going to go, it was going to be a lot easier than Spencer had anticipated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some things: First off, I don’t know anything about these kinds of galas. The only kind I’ve ever attended has been military. Second of all, in concern to Logan – I know he’s played by a Hugh in the movies, and Hugh’s tall, BUT we’ve been taking a very loose use of X-Men here that’s mixed between movies and comics. We’re going with the movie set up, mostly, with the main team of X-men as teachers, and Logan was brought in like in the movies, and most of the others are students. But, that’s really about all I’m using from the movies. The rest, I’ll either make my own, or make from comics. What that means is that I’m going to enjoy the short Logan, because it cracks me up that the comics made him so close to five foot while the movies made him over six feet xP


	5. Sweet Sixteen Pt: 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Final part of Spencer's sweet sixteen party.

The evening went far better than Spencer had anticipated. Really, by now he should’ve learned to trust Tony, and it was looking like he should trust Pepper, too. What Spencer had thought would be a boring even of acting like he was having fun turned out to be an evening full of warmth and laughter. Connecting with Peter and his friends started it, and things just got better from there.

The table that Spencer was set up with wasn’t with a bunch of kids the way he’d been kind of afraid of. While all the various tables on either side of the room were filled, Spencer was guided to the table at the end of the room, the one that made them the center of everything and allowed them a perfect view of the dance floor and the band. There, Tony was seated with his friends and family. He might’ve had the eyes of countless strangers on him, yet it didn’t matter. He was seated around a table with the people closest to him and it was fantastic.

Tony sat on his left, a comforting and steady presence that helped keep Spencer steady. No matter how many emotions were around him, or how strange it was to deal with the constant flow of them, it was a whole lot easier to do with Tony right there beside him. Spencer was getting better – he was practicing more and more often with Stephen and the sorcerer said that Spencer’s shields were improving quite a bit. But it was still a comfort to have Tony right there. The man had no issues about nudging their arms together now and again, or poking at him, or randomly slinging an arm around Spencer’s shoulders as he told a joke that made the table laugh. Those little touches helped to bolster up Spencer’s defenses.

Next to Tony was Bruce, and then after him it went around in a circle with Clint, Laura, Pepper, Jim, May, her date – who Spencer was very much going to recommend she _not_ see again, not with the greedy way that the man was looking at Tony and Spencer, and how he watched Spencer and Peter interact together, like he was counting the dollar signs and seeing what he might get out of this – and then Peter, Ned, Michelle, and Logan, who was seated to Spencer’s right. It was a large table with quite a few people, and it was perfect.

Their food was all simple and easy, something that Bruce had insisted upon handling himself when it came to planning. As Spencer ate some of the fruit and sampled the simple pumpkin soup, he was a bit humbled and definitely grateful for the thought that had gone into it. There wasn’t anything here that Spencer didn’t want to eat.

Everything these people had done for him had the evening passing by in a blur. There were memories Spencer knew he’d carry with him for quite a long time. Sitting around the table, laughing with his family. Watching Peter as he turned as red as a tomato when he asked Michelle to dance, and the look of concentration on his face as he tried to remember the steps that Spencer had taught him. Or Spencer’s first dance, with a guest that he hadn’t expected to see.

He hadn’t seen her until he was sitting back in his seat, sipping on the sparkling cider in his glass. His eyes had simply been scanning the room when he noticed someone new – someone that was hard to miss.

A smile lit up Spencer’s face as he watched the crowd part enough to show him Lark. She was standing talking with another girl that Spencer didn’t recognize, who had spiky black hair and a mischievous look on her face. As he looked at the friend he’d kept in contact with mostly via Skype or text, he found himself thinking that she looked a lot better than she had when they’d first met. Her pixie hair was an almost lighter pink tonight, and still cut short, with just a bit long on the left side of her face. Her skin made her stand out in the room, yet it also made her match the décor well, as did the dark purple dress that she wore. It was more modest than most, with a turtleneck and short sleeves, yet when she twisted he saw that it left the whole of her back exposed.

She definitely drew more than a few stares – not all of them pleasant.

Spencer pushed his chair back, murmuring a low “Excuse me a moment” when the others turned to look at him. He shifted his way through the crowd until he got close enough to catch her eye. When he did, he saw her light up a little, saw her gaze warm and soften, and he smiled in return. He had no doubt in his mind how it looked to others when the two of them came together. Eyes were on them and Spencer knew they were reading a lot more into it than was there as the two friends caught hold of one another’s hands. They didn’t hug, didn’t do the hand-kissing like others or even a handshake. Spencer just caught her hands in his and gave them a squeeze, holding for a moment before letting go so that he could lift his own to sign to her. “I didn’t know you were coming! You look lovely tonight.”

“Flatterer,” Lark teased him. Her eyes ran over his suit and then back up to his face. “You clean up well yourself. And where else would I be on your birthday?”

“Somewhere quiet.”

Amusement lit her eyes. “I get the feeling you’re in the wrong family if you’re looking for quiet.”

Wasn’t that the truth? Still, Spencer didn’t mind.

The sound of someone clearing their throat had Spencer looking over to the girl beside Lark. When Spencer’s eyes went there, Lark looked as well, taking her cue from him. Immediately she shifted herself to include the girl with them. “I’m sorry, I’m being rude. Spencer, I’d like you to meet my roommate, Jubilation Lee. Jubilee, this is my friend, Spencer.”

Jubilee had a grin on her face as she stuck a hand out towards him. She was in a magenta dress that didn’t quite manage to be as modest as Lark’s, but flattered her wonderfully. The way she held herself, though, made it clear she wasn’t as comfortable in a dress. Either from personal preference or lack of experience, he wasn’t quite sure. “So _you’re_ Spencer! It’s great to meet you. I’ve heard all about you. Happy birthday!”

As was habit, Spencer brought a hand up and gave a small wave. “It’s great to meet you, too. I’ll admit, I’ve heard a few tales about ‘the roommate’, but I didn’t have a name or a face to put to that title before.”

Though she gave him the same strange look as everyone else did when he waved at them, Jubilee didn’t let it bug her for long. She drew her hands back in and even laughed at what he said. “I’m not sure I wanna know what it is she’s said about me.”

Out of habit, Spencer had been signing all his responses, making sure that his hands were where Lark would always be able to see them. Now, he made a deliberate point to fold them together in front of him even as he simply smiled at Jubilee. It was a clear ‘I’m not saying anything’ that had both girls laughing.

The music around them changed a little and Spencer tilted his head, studying Lark contemplatively for a moment before making his decision. Tony had warned him that he’d have to get out on the floor at some point tonight. Why not with someone who looked to be in his age range and whom he was comfortable with? “Would you like dance with me?” he asked, holding one hand out her direction, palm up.

Lark’s lips twitched a little. “I would love that.”

She laid her hand in his and let Spencer move her out towards the dance floor. Neither one of them were blind to the eyes that were on them as they took to the floor. Other couples even moved out of the way as Spencer brought Lark against him. If he’d thought the rumors earlier from hugging Logan were going to be bad, it was nothing compared to what people would say after this, he knew. So far Lark was the only girl he’d really gone up to, and the only person he’d danced with, and people were going to speculate quite a bit about that.

Lark must’ve been thinking the same thing, because her lips twitched as they settled in with one another and he started her through the first few steps. “You do realize everyone is going to speculate about anyone that you dance with?”

Shrugging one shoulder, Spencer twisted them into a small spin, enjoying the way it made her eyes light up. She danced like someone who’d just learned, yet with a natural sort of grace. When he drew her back in, he smiled at her and made sure to keep his head at an angle that she’d be able to see his lips. “Does it bother you?”

“Not in the least,” Lark said immediately. “So long as you’re not actually after sex, that is.”

Her blunt words had Spencer letting out a startled laugh. He twirled them past a few people, enjoying it as she caught on and relaxed into their dace. “No. No, I’m not. Not with anyone, at the moment.”

“Good. I’d hate to have to hurt your feelings.”

“Or any other part of me.” Spencer teased.

Any other conversation was lost as he sent her into another spin.

The two danced together more than once through the night. Spencer had to dance with others, of course. A few women that he didn’t know, both adult and teen alike, as well as a dance with Pepper and one with Laura.

There were awkward moments when Spencer was forced to interact or even touch with people he didn’t know, but one thing he learned that night was that his family was going to have his back on more than just the battlefield. No matter where he was or who he was talking to, anytime that he started showing any sort of discomfort, one of the Avengers would suddenly be there, smoothly interjecting themselves into the conversation. Once, Laura was the one to rescue him from an older woman who wasn’t very subtle at all about what she wanted from him. Spencer knew that, were he a normal sixteen-year-old boy, he probably would’ve leapt at the blatant offer from the woman. As it was, he was more than grateful for Laura’s rescue. Even if it did result in getting teased for the rest of the night.

* * *

By the time the night finally wound down enough for them to start to make their way home, Spencer was happy and exhausted, and more than ready to get back to the Compound. He shed his jacket once he was in the back of the limo and happily curled himself up against Tony, who wrapped an arm around him and felt like amusement, caring, and that stunned sort of joy he always got whenever Spencer seemed to trust or relax around him. Normally, that made Spencer ache a little, to think that Tony was so unused to getting that kind of trust or affection that it still surprised him. For tonight the young genius pushed it to the back of his mind and focused instead on giving his empathy what it needed.

There were more than a few chuckles as Spencer turned himself sideways on the seat. He ended with his side pressed against the back of the seat, his shoulder tucked underneath Tony’s arm and his head on Tony’s shoulder. Jim was in the seat near Spencer’s legs and he casually lifted a thigh so that Spencer’s feet could slide underneath and be pleasantly squished by the warm weight. Anyone else would probably balk at the feel of shoes there, but Jim wouldn’t feel it.

“Did you have a good time tonight, Spencer?” Laura asked him.

A low ‘mmm’ was the only answer Spencer could give. After being surrounded y the emotions of everyone else for the night, it felt amazingly good to be here in the car with only the emotions of those he cared for, and who cared for him.

Tony gave a low laugh and curled his arm across Spencer’s chest, hugging him close. “I think someone’s done for the night.”

Conversation continued around him for the duration of their ride home. Spencer didn’t mind it. He let his weight rest against Tony and let himself relax until he was mostly asleep. He might’ve actually gone ahead and fallen asleep there if it weren’t for Tony shaking him awake once they got home. “C’mon, kiddo.” The arm around him shifted and Tony’s fingers carded through his hair. “We’re home. Time to get you inside.”

Slowly, Spencer stirred, blinking eyes that felt a bit heavy. It took a second for him to realize they were the only ones in the limo.

His confusion must’ve been noticeable. Tony chuckled and Spencer could feel his affectionate humor. “I let them out first. Figured you didn’t need an audience when you woke up, no matter how adorable it is.”

“Shut up,” Spencer grumbled at him without any real heat. He pushed himself up, taking a moment to wipe one hand over his face as he went. His body was tired, yes, but it hadn’t really been exhaustion that had pulled him down. Just… feeling _good_. That feeling didn’t fade even as he let Tony help him out of the car.

When Tony slung an arm around his shoulders, Spencer leaned into it and let his own arm slide around Tony’s waist. He expected Tony to lead him to the elevator and take them up to his floor. What he hadn’t expected was to get into a different elevator, one that didn’t go to their personal floors. He tilted his head to look at the engineer, only to have Tony grin as he said “If you’re up for it, I’ve got a few more people who’re dying to wish you happy birthday.”

Hmm. Bed sounded wonderfully appealing to him at the moment. Even so, he was sure he could manage to wake himself up enough to deal with a few more people. Especially since he was curious about who they might be.

Trying to prepare himself, he straightened up a little and force his brain to wake up the rest of the way. He wasn’t sure what he expected from Tony; there was no telling with him. However, Spencer could honestly say that he hadn’t expected to be taken to the workshop, nor had he expected to be greeted almost the instant they went through the doors by loud beeping – it sounded like the tune to ‘happy birthday’, only done by multiple different beeps, and none of them matching up with the other – or to find himself being attacked by streams of confetti.

Laughter bubbled up his chest, bright and pure, and the last dregs of his tiredness fell away from him as he looked at the bots that were racing towards him. U was the one shooting out confetti, launching it _everywhere_ , while Butterfingers was carrying a single cupcake on a tray – how on earth had anyone let her carry something? – while Dum-E was holding a birthday party hat aloft like it was a king’s crown.

Spencer’s smile was the brightest it’d been all night as he knelt down to let Dum-E put the hat on his head.

Tony had jokingly called Spencer and the bots ‘siblings’ just _once_ and they all seem to have taken to it. Even FRIDAY seemed to have embraced the idea. Not that Spencer minded; they were Tony’s kids, whether other people realized it or not, and he was quite happy to claim them as family. But it’d never quite clicked how seriously they all took it until this moment now as he found himself surrounded by his siblings and ushered to a chair that Dum-E dragged over for him. Spencer was practically pushed down into it by U, and he just barely managed to catch the cupcake as Butterfingers thrust it at him.

“They’ve been waiting all evening for this,” FRIDAY said, sounding pleased with the whole thing. “They’ve been practicing quite hard at this.”

The thought of the bots practicing for this was unexpectedly touching. Spencer reached out to them, both with a hand and with his powers, and let his electricity brush up against theirs in an electronic equivalent of a hug. “Thank you, all of you. This is wonderful.”

Tony stepped up through the crowd, reminding Spencer that he was there. He had a lighter in his hand that he used to reach out and light the candle on the cupcake with. “Here, I figured I better do this part of things. Who knows what they might’ve tried to light it with.” As he pulled back, he shot a sharp look to the side and quickly pointed a finger at Dum-E, who’d started to quickly wheel backwards. “Freeze! Don’t you dare go touch that fire extinguisher, you menace. He’s not on fire, you hear me? It’s a candle. A _candle_. He’ll blow it out all on his own in a minute.”

The beep that Dum-E let out somehow perfectly conveyed his sadness and _disappointment_.

The sound had Tony letting out a gusty sigh. “Fine. If he catches fire from that tiny little candle, you have my permission to put him out. But _only_ if he catches fire.”

Spencer couldn’t help but laugh as Dum-E raced off to get the fire extinguisher and hold it at the ready _just in case_.

What followed after that was the most amazing rendition of ‘Happy Birthday’ that Spencer had ever heard. It was amazing, off-key, not all parties beeping or clicking at the same time, and it ended with another fire of confetti that coated the lot of them in tiny strips of paper, and it was the best thing he’d ever heard. Spencer blew out the candle – without setting himself on fire – and the bots clicked happily while Tony clapped and FRIDAY happily told him “Happy birthday, little Boss.”

Spencer was sure that no birthday could get any better than this one. Especially not when the bots brought out their present for him, which FRIDAY let him know that they’d painstakingly collected for him.

He was given a box wrapped in bright red wrapping paper that Tony let him know “I brought it down for them. I figured if they were gonna do it, might as well do it right.”

“You guys did an amazing job.” Spencer complimented them. U poked at the box, trying to tug at the paper, and Butterfingers beeped at him and knocked his claw away, making Spencer laugh. The young genius took the hint and tore the wrapping paper off. Inside, he found a box, and inside that box were tones of what Spencer assumed were scraps from around Tony’s workshop. There was a piece of red metal with a rather pretty spiral burn on it, a few different nuts and bolts, and a flame handled screwdriver.

The last item had Tony protesting, loudly. “Hey!” He spun to glare at his ‘kids’. “That’s not how this works. You can’t go giving away _my_ tools as gifts! You little thieves, you _stole_ my screwdriver!”

Spencer couldn’t help it – he threw his head back and laughed. The image of Tony scolding his three bots was one that he knew he wasn’t going to ever forget.

As soon as Tony wound down, Spencer pushed himself up in his chair, reaching out to the tree bots to stroke over their claws and hug at them, making sure that his own energy pulsed for them with how happy he was. “Thank you, all three of you. This is the best gift I’ve gotten all night. I love it!”

“Well now,” Tony said, as Spencer sat back in his seat. He had a bag in his hand and he looked suddenly nervous. “I don’t know if I can top scraps and stolen tools, but, uh… here. This is from me.”

Surprised, Spencer took the small gift bag out of Tony’s hand. When he looked up, the engineer was deliberately not looking at him, his eyes darting around them as if he was trying to avoid looking at Spencer entirely. Embarrassment and worry mixed together in his emotions. Whatever this was, he was hoping desperately that Spencer liked it while worrying that he wouldn’t. That, more than anything else, made Spencer determined to like it no matter what it was.

What he wasn’t expecting was to look past the tissue paper and find… a key?

“I know you’re only sixteen, not quite old enough to really be out on your own yet and all that,” Tony shuffled a little and he twisted his hands together in front of him in a nervous gesture he didn’t often show. “And, uh, it’d probably be a good idea for you to live up here at the Compound more often than not, but I thought, well… I know you like having your own space sometimes to just, be away from people. So I, ah, may have taken one of the private houses on the property and converted it a little. It’s yours, if you want it.

A house. Tony was giving him a _house_? Spencer stared at the key and then lifted wide eyes up to look at Tony. “A _house_?”

Tony’s nerves grew stronger even though he kept it mostly internal. “Like I said, you’d still stay up here more often than not, for appearances sake. It wouldn’t look good if people found out my sixteen-year-old was living in a house on the property and not actually _with_ me, but you could go escape down there when you need to. It’d be like your own little hideout when you just want some privacy or alone time. Plus, I put a workshop down in the basement for you, so you’ll be free to play around and tinker to your heart’s content without worrying about messing with any of my stuff or getting in the way or whatever it is you worry about when coming in here. Of course, you don’t _have_ to…”

“Tony.” Spencer knew that Tony could be just as bad as him and Peter sometimes. If he let him go, he’d keep babbling at him. He always talked more when nervous. But, he had no reason to be nervous about this, and Spencer wanted nothing more than to tell him that. Only, he didn’t have the words with which to do it. How on earth could you thank someone for giving you something like this? Tony was giving Spencer a place that was entirely _his_. Somewhere that he could go be for a while and not have to worry about pretending to be a kid. Somewhere that he’d be free to be himself. And he’d put a workshop in there!

There were no words that Spencer could think of to convey just how much this meant to him. So he settled for the only other response that he could think of. Spencer shoved off his chair, almost launching himself upwards at the man. To his credit Tony didn’t even miss a beat. He’d gotten pretty good at being spontaneously jumped like this. His arms came out and he caught Spencer easily as the teenager slammed into him.

Spencer’s arms went tight around Tony’s waist and he tucked his head down to press his ear right against his heart. He felt Tony’s arms come around him in response, holding him close and tight. Eyes shut tight against the burn of tears, Spencer could only whisper two words. “Thank you.”

He felt Tony sigh a little. The nerves and tension faded away and he hugged Spencer even closer. “You’re welcome, kiddo.”


	6. Panic Attacks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Panic attacks, crying, mentions of past abuse, mentions of mental illness

**November, 2016**

For once it felt like the whole Compound was quiet. Tony sat having lunch with Jim, neither one of them saying all that much. Jim had an empty afternoon and he’d dragged Tony up out of the workshop to come join him for lunch. Bruce was off speaking at a convention, Peter was at school, Vision was in town, and Spencer was over on the training floor with Stephen. They were practicing his empathy, which meant that they had to be close enough to feel while far enough away that no one else was going to be bothered by it. Which meant that most of the building had been emptied out in preparation for it.

For his part, Tony was mostly just enjoying the quiet and his lunch, his thoughts buzzing over the project he’d left downstairs. There’d been a kick in his left boot lately on his suit that was giving him just a bit of trouble ever since the last time they’d had to fight against Doom. Loathe as he was to admit it, there was every chance that it was _magic_ that had messed his boot up, and he hated that.

Tony found himself jerked from his thoughts by something altogether unexpected.

A loud buzz started and grew around the two men just seconds before the lights all flared bright enough to burst a few bulbs. Jim swore, dropping down low to hide from the flying glass, one arm up to protect his head. “What the hell?”

Tony had a different reaction entirely. He cursed loudly as he dropped his mug and shot off out of the room. Behind him, he could hear as Jim was scrambling after him, his best friend shouting to him the whole way, but Tony ignored it. There was only one thing that he could think of that would cause this kind of reaction through the whole compound. “FRI, baby, you still there?” He demanded as he reached the elevator.

There was a low crackle and then FRIDAY’s voice filled the elevator just as Jim got inside. “Here, Boss.”

“Good. Put up safety protocols and make sure auxiliary power is ready to go.”

The elevator doors closed and they were moving much quicker than normal. It was fast enough that Tony had to brace a hand on the wall, yet not fast enough. If FRIDAY were hurrying him along like this, it wasn’t good.

God bless Jim. He didn’t even bother asking Tony what was going on or if everything was okay. He just followed after him once the doors opened and Tony was once more racing away.

The engineer knew exactly where to go. When Tony hit the training room, the door opened smoothly as soon as he got close to it. What he found when he got inside was a mess. A large crack ran down the far wall and spread out into more on both the floor and the ceiling, while some places looked scorched, much like what was left behind when Thor flung his lightning. At the base of the largest crack in the wall, Stephen was just pushing himself up to his feet, leaving no doubt just how that crack had been formed. The fact that he’d hit hard enough to make that kind of damage made it pretty amazing that he was actually getting up.

Worse than all that, though, was when Tony’s eyes found the only other occupant of the room. To his right, Spencer was pressed into the corner of the room, his body curled tightly in on itself as if he were protecting every available inch that he could, while at the same time he had one of his hands up and an energy blast ready to go. Power crackled all along his skin. It was even flashing through his eyes like blue fireworks against the normal brown.

“What the hell?” Jim breathed out lowly.

Stephen groaned a little and pushed himself to his feet. “I believe I struck a nerve.” He smoothed his hands over his clothes and looked to Spencer, concern clear in his eyes. “We were trying to process old emotions. I believe we hit on one that sent him into a flashback.”

Fuck. _Fuck_. Tony was so not equipped to deal with this. He wasn’t! So why was he taking a step towards the trembling kid? Fear was pouring off of the teen in a cloud so thick it was smothering.

“Tone…” Jim spoke up hesitantly, unsure, only to be shushed by Tony waving a hand back his way.

He had no idea what he was doing here. He knew what it was like to have panic attacks and flashbacks but that didn’t mean he knew how to help someone else through them! Yet, he continued walking, carefully making his way forward. “Spencer,” he called out, in a low and gentle voice. “Hey, kiddo, it’s me. Can you hear me? It’s just, me, Tony. I’m gonna come over there so I can make sure you’re all right, okay? That’s all I’m gonna do.”

Spencer didn’t say anything, so Tony inched closer and closer, until he could crouch down in front of him. The energy ball in Spencer’s hand hadn’t faded away and the fear seemed to be even stronger this close to him. Gritting his teeth, Tony forced down the feelings it brought to life in him, pushing those down to try and keep focused on what was important. “Spencer.” With one hand, he reached out to touch the kid, and he knew almost instantly it was the wrong move to make.

Spencer jerked away from his touch as if Tony had burned him. He didn’t throw the energy blast, though, much to the surprise of the room. Instead, he vanished it completely, curled in on himself, and began to _beg_ in a way that ripped right through Tony’s heart. “No, no, no, please! Please! I’m sorry!” The words were a broken plea, carrying a sound that suggested Spencer knew they wouldn’t work and yet couldn’t help saying them anyways. “I’m s-sorry. I won’t, I swear I _won’t_ , _please_.”

Anger hit Tony hard and fast. No, not anger – rage. It was a bright ball low in Tony’s gut. He fought hard against it, somehow keeping it from roaring up inside of him and taking control. The training he’d received from Stephen helped him to channel his emotions into something he really hoped was calmer. _“You can’t force away what you’re feeling”_ Stephen had told him. “ _Instead, focus on one aspect of what you feel, one strong and good emotion, and let that become your center. He’ll feel that first and embrace it._ ”

Tony focused on the protectiveness that this kid inspired in him. It wasn’t hard. With every flinch, every tremble, every aching second that Spencer was trapped in a terrifying memory, every pleading word begging to whoever he was seeing, Tony’s protectiveness grew.

Never once breaking pose, Tony kept his body loose and relaxed and his focus right on Spencer while he settled onto the floor. He didn’t reach for him again; that wasn’t a mistake he’d make twice. Whatever flashback Spencer was stuck in was strong. He tried to remember the things that Jim or Pepper used to do for him.

What came to mind wasn’t a memory of them, though. It was a memory of _Clint_. Of when the archer had come to the kitchen one night and found Tony in a post-nightmare panic attack. Tony hadn’t even known he was there at first, too busy trying to breathe past the crushing weight in his chest. He hadn’t realized it until he’d heard a soft, low sound, one that didn’t belong in the flashback he’d been in. _Singing_. That sound had given Tony an anchor, something to hold on to, an easy beat that he found his breathing slowing to. That simple act had helped Tony tremendously, and he hoped to every god out there that it might do the same for the scrawny kid in front of him.

He had no way of knowing what kind of place Spencer was in, or what kind of music would suit it, so he picked something that he was pretty sure the kid wouldn’t know. Something that it was highly unlikely he could associate with that memory. Tony ignored the two men behind him and focused only on Spencer as he began to sing in a soft, low voice.

The words were an Italian lullaby. It was one that Maria had often sang to Tony when he was still small enough to curl up on her lap. The words came back to him easily, the memories with the helping to keep his emotions soft and protective, the way he wanted. “ _Ninna nanna, ninna oh. Questo bimbo a chi lo do? Ninna nanna, ninna oh. Questo bimbo a chi lo do? Se lo do alla Befana, me lo tiene una settimana. Se lo do al al Bove Nero, me lo tiene un anno intero. Se lo do al Lupo Bianco, me lo tiene tanto tanto. Ninna nanna, nanna fate. Il mio bimbo addormentate._ ”

It took a lot for Tony to ignore the two men who were staying so quiet behind him. But it was easier to do when he saw that Spencer’s trembles seemed to be – lessening. The arms in front of his face shifted, just a bit, and it looked like one eye was peeking out.

Smiling, Tony stayed where he was, not risking coming out yet, and continued to sing in a low voice pitched just for the two of them. “ _Se lo do alla Befana, me lo tiene una settimana. Se lo do al al Bove Nero, me lo tiene un anno intero. Se lo do al Lupo Bianco, me lo tiene tanto tanto. Ninna nanna, nanna fate. Il mio bimbo addormentate._ ”

There was a hint of clarity to the eye that was watching him now. Not much, but some. Enough that Tony dared to slowly spread his arms out in a clear gesture. He held that pose as Spencer’s arms shook, as another tremble ran through him, and he kept on holding it as, little by little, that arm shifted again for Spencer to look at him. _Come on, kiddo. Come on._ “You’re all right, Spencer,” Tony kept his voice as low as it’d been while singing. Calm, easy, non-threatening. “You’re safe. I know you probably don’t feel like it, but wherever you are, whatever you thought you were seeing, it’s not here. This was just one really shitty memory that got dredged up while you were with Strange. But we’re not gonna let it get you, all right? You’re here with me, and we’ve got Stephen and Jim behind us, and nothing’s gonna get us here, all right? You’re safe.”

The look in Spencer’s eyes as he finally lowered his arms was one that Tony hadn’t ever wanted to see there. It was one he’d gotten glimpses of before and that was like a knife to the heart now. The look there spoke of age, of someone who’d seen and done too much, and who literally _could not forget_.

When Spencer reached out, hand shaking, Tony slowly extended his hand forward until their fingers brushed together. The first touch made Spencer jerk back briefly. Then he was moving forward again, a bit firmer this time, his hand curling around Tony’s.

Once that first contact was made it was easy for Tony to draw Spencer to him. In no time he found himself sitting there with a lap full of trembling teenager and no godly idea what the hell he was supposed to do next. The only thing he could think of to do was fold his arms around Spencer and hope that his presence was somehow going to help.

He felt Spencer flinch as his face pressed up against his shirt, and Tony prepared himself to move away, only for Spencer to press his face in even closer and nuzzle a little against him. His arms curled in so that they were squished between their chests and Tony could feel it as his hands started to fiddle with Tony’s shirt in a way that Tony recognized. It was a gesture logged away in his head under ‘random Spencer tics’. He recognized it as something that Spencer did when he felt off-kilter. One of those self-soothing things that Tony had done a bit of research into.

There was sound behind him that had Tony turning his head a little to look. He watched as Stephen and Jim made their way out of the room. Jim looked back long enough to give him a nod and a thumbs-up before he was gone.

Tony stared after them for a moment with a brief sense of panic. What the hell? Why on earth were they leaving him in here with the kid? Didn’t they know he wasn’t good at this? The trembling, terrified kid in his lap was more than a little fragile right now, and Tony didn’t exactly have a good history with saying or doing the right thing.

It turned out he didn’t really have to say anything. Spencer didn’t move away from him, his trembles didn’t stop, but after a moment the kid started to speak in a soft voice that Tony had to tilt his head a little to be able to hear. Of course, much to Tony’s annoyance, the first words the kid said were “I’m sorry.”

Right. Tony’s first instinct – which was to tell him to shut up – wasn’t going to fly here. He wasn’t _that much_ of a dick. No matter how angry it made him to hear Spencer apologize for something he shouldn’t ever apologize for, he wasn’t going to take it out on the still scared teenager in his arms. He got the impression that too many people had already done that to him in his life. Tony forced himself under control and made sure that his voice was controlled as he asked, “For what?” as casually as he could. Because no matter what else happened here, he was going to do his best to make damn sure Spencer understood that he wasn’t going to judge him for this. It’d taken a lifetime for Tony to realize that it was okay to need help in moments like these. Jim had taught him that. Maybe Tony didn’t trust everyone when he got in a panic attack – he’d learned he could trust Jim, though.

It surprised him to realize just how badly he wanted to be that one person that Spencer could trust.

The teen clenched and unclenched his hands in Tony’s shirt. “I keep… I keep ending up like this. Breaking apart on you. You shouldn’t have to…”

“Let me stop you right there,” Tony cut in firmly. “First off – I don’t _have_ to do anything. Second of all, you don’t get to decide what I should or shouldn’t deal with. I think I’m old enough to make that decision for myself, don’t you? I don’t care how old you are, kid, mind or body. If you need a hug or a cuddle or whatever the hell else, I’m not ever gonna turn you down.” Too many people had done it to him. He wasn’t going to do that to anyone else.

He felt Spencer shudder under his hands. “Thanks.”

Tony smiled even though he knew Spencer couldn’t see it. He didn’t think about his next action; he just bent and pressed a light kiss to the crown of Spencer’s head. “Like I said, anytime.” He ran one hand up and down Spencer’s spine to try and carefully chase away some of the tension there. “You wanna talk about it?”

He was surprised when Spencer didn’t immediately protest. They stayed quiet long enough that Tony began to wonder about his back and how much it was going to protest being down on the floor like this when it came time to finally get up. Then, Spencer began to speak, and Tony turned his focus entirely to the kid he held.

“I… I had nightmares last night,” Spencer whispered that like it was something shameful, something he should be embarrassed about. Tony made a mental note to take the time later to explain to him that everyone in this house had nightmares and it was all right to talk about them. For now, he kept silent and just listened. “It had me a little on edge today. Stephen says I don’t, um, I don’t process enough. That I bottle it up. So he was trying to… to get me to talk about it. Or, at least, work through the emotions. I was doing okay, working through it on my own, but then I just… I slipped. I lost my hold on everything and I was, it was like I was back there all over again.”

Tony winced at that. With the way Spencer’s mind worked and his insane memory, that had to be a huge risk he took with these things.

He felt more than heard the way that Spencer sniffled against his chest. Long fingers tangled in Tony’s shirt, tugging and rubbing at it. “I love my mom.” The words seemed random at first, surprising Tony, until he kept going. “I’ve always loved her. But she… she’s a paranoid schizophrenic who went off her meds to be able to have me. She did okay, at first, and Dad was around to help make sure she took her meds. Or, he tried to. By the time I was ten, she wasn’t doing too well at it anymore, and Dad had enough. He left. I found out a long time later that he never left Vegas, he just didn’t bother contacting us afterwards.”

“Jesus fuck.” Tony breathed out, unable to stop himself. “He… he left you with a mentally ill mother who it sounds like was having issues caring for _herself_?”

Spencer huffed out a breath. The air around them shifted to something sad, something tinged in old pain and grief. “He wasn’t strong enough. Mom said he was weak. But I wasn’t. It took some trial and error, but I figured out how to get her to take her meds most of the time. I learned how to make sure she ate, that she took her meds, things like that. But sometimes… sometimes one of her episodes would hit, and she… she’d…” Spencer paused and swallowed audibly before lowering his voice. “It was like she was someone else.”

 _Oh God._ Tony swore he could feel his lunch trying to climb its way back up. He’d heard Spencer talk about Diana plenty of times; how amazing she was, how much he loved her. The implications of what Spencer was saying – was it any wonder he was panicking here?

Tony’s emotions must’ve been leaking through more than he wanted. He felt Spencer jerk back and just barely managed to move his hands in time for the kid to straighten up so that they were face to face. The tears on his cheeks were almost Tony’s undoing. More than that, though, was the panic in his eyes, like he was completely and utterly terrified at the idea of Tony being upset by this.

“It wasn’t her fault!” Spencer hurried to tell him. The words carried an echo to them that suggested this wasn’t the first time he’d said them. To others, to himself, there was no telling. “She wasn’t… she didn’t mean to do anything. It was just, I didn’t always know when to stay back, or how to help, so sometimes she’d get agitated and I made it worse by trying to step in. Or she’d be arguing with the voices and I’d have to step in to keep her from hurting herself. Other times, I had to, to force her to eat before I learned how to trick her into it, and she wouldn’t, it wasn’t like she knew it was me! She was just trying to protect herself, that’s all, I swear!”

There was no way Tony could sit still anymore. Not with Spencer’s panic flying so high. He acted on instinct, reaching out to catch Spencer’s face in his palms, stopping him from talking and keeping him right there. “Hey, hey, calm down, kiddo. Come on now, take a breath with me and calm down. It’s all right.”

Spencer’s breath shuddered out of him. “She didn’t mean to do it, Dad, I swear. She didn’t.”

There was no time for Tony to focus on the fact that Spencer had just called him Dad without anyone around to hear it. He kept hold of Spencer’s face and shushed him gently. “No one’s judging her here, Spencer.”

“I don’t want… she wasn’t a bad person. She’s not! It’d kill her to know she ever hurt me.”

Which meant that he’d never told her. Likely, he’d never told anyone. Meaning that he’d just been dealing with this all alone. Tony closed his eyes and leaned his head in until their foreheads touched. “Ah, hell, Spencer.” Tony kept his eyes closed and sighed. He couldn’t look at Spencer right now. Bad enough that he was fighting to keep his own control; he didn’t want the kid to see the grief or anger in his eyes. “I don’t think she’s a bad person. It sounds like you two were doing the best with what you could. I’m not going to blame her for something she couldn’t help.”

Little shivers shook through Spencer’s slender frame. “But you’re… you’re mad.”

Those words weren’t the words of the adult that Tony knew Spencer to be. They were the words of a child; a terrified child. His panic attack and this opening up had left him raw and slightly exposed.

“I’m not mad at her,” Tony reassured him. He kept his voice as gentle as he possibly could. “I’m not mad at you, either. You guys did the best you could, Pikachu. I’m mad at the asshole who left you two alone like that. I’m mad that there wasn’t anyone there to help you guys when you needed it. But I’m not mad at you, all right?”

He felt the tears that hit his hands as Spencer lost the battle to hold them back. There was no hesitation on Tony’s part to pull his kid in close once more and wrap him up. This time, when Spencer clung to him, he didn’t bother hiding the fact that he was crying. He just held on and let the tears fall as he grieved for something he’d been holding in for far too long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, before people get upset, I know that it's not canon that Spencer was ever abused. Just like I know that not all schizophrenics are violent. There's every chance that Diana was NOT. However, J and I debated this back and forth before deciding to go ahead and include this. We both think that there's a chance that Diana's illness had a lot of negative effects on Spencer (even potentially including violence) mostly because it was made clear that she wasn't taking care of herself when William left when Spencer was ten - there's every likelihood that it didn't get better once her husband was gone. If anything, it probably got worse, because what kid is going to be able to convince their parents to take their meds? Spencer would've tried, he's too much a caretaker not to, but it would've taken practice to learn those tricks.
> 
> Please don't think we're demonizing Diana. We love her. But in this story we wanted to explore that possibility and what it might've done to Spencer to have that in his past.
> 
> This is also the first sign of Spencer really opening up to Tony about his past - yay! - and there'll be more to come in the future. The next chapter, though, should be happier. It's Spencer's visit to the Xavier's School! We'll get to see old and new characters, and sort of trial-run Remy for you all so people who don't know him, or who don't know how his accent is written, can voice their opinion and let us know what they think :)


	7. Visiting the X-Men

**November, 2016**

Spencer stared at the mansion in the distance and tried not to let himself feel the nerves that were eating at his stomach. Without realizing it, he began to slow down a little as he shifted his weight around on his energy board. Through the short flight from the Compound to here, there had still been plenty enough time for Spencer to start thinking about what lay ahead and what exactly it was he was about to go do. Those thoughts didn’t exactly leave him feeling all that well.

Honestly, he was lucky it’d taken this long for him to take his trip out here. Charles had given Spencer time to get settled in to his new life, to become just a little comfortable at being Spencer Stark – and for the public to relax on it too, he was sure – and then he’d called and talked to Tony. Whatever the two of them had discussed, Spencer wasn’t entirely sure, but it’d ended with Tony sitting Spencer down and letting him know that he thought it was a good idea for Spencer to start taking weekly trips out to Xavier’s School for some training with his powers, a bit of interaction with mutant kids in his physical age range… and therapy.

It was the last one that had been the hardest for Spencer to swallow. The idea of training – yeah, sure, he wasn’t fond of it, and he was more than happy with Clint and Jim for physical training, but he could accept that he needed to train his powers a little better and in a more controlled environment. The mansion was the perfect place for him to train his electrical powers. Though, he’d continue to train his empathy with Stephen if needed.

But, therapy? Spencer had seen more than one therapist in his life. He’d seen one in elementary school when they’d first been discovering just how smart he was and he’d really started to discover how his intelligence alienated him. He’d also been forced by child services to see another one after his father left. Then there’d been the counselor at Caltech, who’d worried about him, and then there’d been plenty of mental health exams during his time at the BAU. Those were mandatory. They were also utterly ridiculous.

Talking around a therapist of any type was always ridiculously easy. It’s said that doctors make the worst patients. The same was true for psychologists. Once, Derek had joked with Spencer that his degree in psychology, combined with the practical, on-the-job training he got at the BAU – not just with the study of criminal behavior, but in the psychology of their Unsub and their victims, as well as the practical use he had to apply when dealing with victims – that Spencer should already have his doctorate. He had plenty of training, and while it made him good at his job, it made him a terrible patient. Especially if he didn’t want to talk.

Still… as much as Spencer hated to admit it, he knew that therapy probably wasn’t a bad idea. Especially after his panic attack and subsequent break down a couple weeks ago.

Thinking of that was enough to make him cringe. Yeah, that hadn’t been his finest moment. If all Tony asked from him for it was to talk to someone, well, it was the least he could do, right?

Spencer forced those thoughts to the back of his mind as he finally got close to the mansion.

It got a bit easier to do when he saw who was waiting for him on the lawn. Logan stood by the front porch, a cigar clamped between his teeth and a grin behind it. There were a few other kids that looked up as Spencer got close, but the young genius paid them little mind as he brought himself in to land just a few feet in front of Logan.

The feral greeted him with a grin and a half hug when Spencer got close. “Hey there, brat. Bout time you got here.”

“What are you talking about? I’m _early_.”

That got him a grin and a big hand ruffling his hair. Rolling his eyes, Spencer didn’t bother trying to hide his smile. Nor did he tug away when Logan slung an arm around him and started to tug him towards the front door. “C’mon, I’ll show you around the place.”

Spencer let himself be led inside the main entryway of the mansion that looked just a bit more like a castle than a school. The obvious wealth here didn’t impress him. He’d never been the type to be impressed by money, and he was far too used to Tony’s wealth. But there was something to be said about the old-fashioned elegance of this place. There was something of a ‘classic’ feel to things. It was like stepping into a movie, or a picture. The art on the walls, the wide, sweeping staircase, the antique furniture – it reminded Spencer of the British castles he’d seen, only just a little bit warmer. More, homey. A couple pairs of boots were tucked to the side near the front door, someone’s coat was slung over the back of a chair just up ahead, and it looked like someone had left their jacket hanging off the banister towards the top of the stairs.

More than that, though, was the _feel_ of it all. As Spencer walked in, he could feel the residents that were inside, just as he could feel the ones outside. There were plenty of people here, their emotions going all along the spectrum, but for the most part they were _happy_. Today was a chilly yet sunny day and the students were more than happy to enjoy it, it seemed.

Walking in here, the place looked fancy, yet the emotions and the general feel of it all was like walking into a warm kitchen full of friends and family. Spencer’s shoulders relaxed just a little and his smile grew easier.

“The Professor figured I could give you a tour of the place first. Considering you were supposed to have been a student, you should probably know your way around this place,” Logan said, low and amused.

Spencer’s eyes crinkled a little as he smiled at his friend. “Sounds wonderful.”

It was so easy to let Logan lead him around. Being with him was like… it was like a combination of Derek and, well, _Tony_. There was the comfort of someone that Spencer knew he could count on, who he knew was going to have his back and that he knew would fight alongside him if necessary. Someone who was smarter than he looked – not just a brawler with a set of muscles, like people tended to think – and who was also insanely loyal. He was a mix of all the things those two gave to Spencer, with some unique traits thrown in that were pure Logan.

As they walked through the house, it was clear that Spencer wasn’t the only one who was quite taken by the feral. More than a few kids rushed up to greet him or called out their hellos as they passed them in the hall. There weren’t a lot of them out and about, but, Logan explained to him “Most of ‘em are in class right now. We got a few that got study hour, or a free space, but the rest are in their last class of the day.”

“Aren’t you a teacher?” Spencer asked. He was pretty sure Tony had said that.

Logan nodded his head and turned them down another hall that looked much like the last one. “Yeah. History and physical education. I got ‘Ro covering my history class today, though.” He slanted an amused look at Spencer and bumped their shoulders together. “Figured you’d prefer me leading you around this nuthouse.”

Oh. Color warmed Spencer’s cheeks and he ducked his head down, embarrassed yet pleased by the fact that Logan had taken time out of his class just to be the one to show Spencer around the school.

To his everlasting gratitude, Logan didn’t comment on his blush, nor tease him any further. He just continued to lead Spencer past all the classroom doors. A few times, there was an open door, through which Spencer could see students seated in chairs, rarely at desks, their attention focused on the teacher at the front of the room. Despite the formal feel of the school, it looked like the classes were smaller and a whole lot more informal. There was a small part of Spencer that couldn’t help but wish a place like this had been around when he’d been going through school the first time. Then again, all the students lived here on campus, and that wouldn’t have worked for Spencer. Especially not so far away from home. Making things work between California and Vegas had been bad enough. Going all the way to New York? No, no, that wouldn’t have worked.

Spencer was caught off guard when Logan stopped them about three-quarters of the way down the hall and reached out to a section of wall. As he did, Logan turned to look back at Spencer. “Now, here’s the part of the tour we don’t exactly give out to _everyone_. I know Chuck warned you that there’re some parts of this you’re gonna have to keep quiet. That starts now.”

That sounded slightly ominous. Still, Spencer trusted him, and Charles _had_ warned him that there were some things he wasn’t going to be able to mention to anyone outside of here, just for safety’s sake.

When the wall shifted into a secret door – an elevator, leading them down to subfloors – Spencer quickly found out why they were so secretive about this. This wasn’t just another floor. This was the floor for the X-Men.

Compared to the warmth of the upstairs, everything down here was _cool_. Metals, white walls, light colors. It reminded Spencer of a medical or science labs. Cold, practical, with no extra fuss.

“This is where we do a lot of our training and planning for things,” Logan told him as he led him out of the elevator. “We got war rooms down that way, an the training room in that hall, plus the Professor’s space over there. But down here…” he tugged Spencer to the right and led him down the hall there, making another right when they reached the end. “…are Hank’s labs.”

Hank. As in, Hank McCoy? Spencer perked up a little at that. He looked at Logan as they went through another set of doors into a seemingly empty room that was very clearly their medical bay. “Hank? You mean Dr. Hank McCoy?”

“That would be me.” Another voice answered.

If Spencer had been paying more attention, he might’ve noticed the being that was currently hanging from the ceiling above them. As it was, he jolted a little at the sound of the voice and twisted himself quickly to look in that direction. It allowed him to watch as a rather large, blue furred being dropped down from the ceiling with a type of grace that really shouldn’t have been possible. Spencer tilted his head back just a bit to look up at the face above him. Dr. Hank McCoy smiled down at him with open kindness and curiosity. He was wearing glasses – something that Spencer couldn’t help but find both odd and a little endearing – and was dressed in a pair of slacks and a button-up shirt, with a lab coat thrown over it all. It gave him a look that was a cross between creature and professor, and Spencer loved it.

The young genius couldn’t quite contain his excitement as he turned away from Logan to face the man in front of him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir. During my studies I’ve come across quite a few of your papers, and I’d love to be able to sit down later and talk with you about the biophysics and molecular physiology of mutants. Some of the information in your papers was absolutely _fascinating_ , and I…”

Spencer was cut off when Logan dropped a hand on his shoulder. When he turned, he found his friend grinning at him, his amusement easy to see and feel. “Take a breath, pup.”

Right, right. Spencer reigned himself in and tried not to blush once more. He stuffed his hands down into the pockets of his sweater and rocked back just a bit on his heels. It felt kind of strange to be cut off in mid babble. It made him realize that it’d been a while since that had happened. Peter had no issue letting him ramble on and on, often adding in rambles of his own. It was the same with Tony and Bruce. Jim sometimes got this indulgent smile on his face when Spencer got going, and Clint was known to go a bit vacant-eyed if he didn’t understand what Spencer was talking about. But for the most part they all really just let Spencer talking. That kind of freedom had made him a bit complacent. He’d started to forget that not everyone enjoyed letting him talk like that.

“That’s quite all right, Logan,” Hank reassured them. “I have to say, I’m rather excited to meet you myself, Dr. Stark. I’ve heard all about you from our fine feral friend here, and the Professor has quite a few nice things to say as well. I’ll confess, I’m thrilled at the idea of speaking with someone from an alternate universe, as well as someone with a mind such as your reputed to have.”

Instead of cutting them off again, Logan settled for shaking his head, though his smile never faltered. “Why don’t you two nerd out in here while I go make sure the Danger Room’s free. I was thinkin’ of taking him in there, next.”

Hank nodded his agreement. “That sounds like an excellent idea.”

With a squeeze to Spencer’s shoulder, and a warning to “Be good, pup, I’ll be right back”, Logan left the two of them alone. Spencer felt just slightly nervous; he never really did all that well with new people. But it didn’t take long for his nerves to start to fade away. Hank was so open and eager as he gestured for Spencer to follow him over to an office area on the far right side of the room. “Why don’t you come join me, Dr. Stark? I’ve countless questions I want to ask you, and I’m sure you have some of your own. We might as well be comfortable while we do it.”

Spencer found himself smiling, and he let himself be led over towards the office. “I’d like that.”

* * *

There was no real telling how much time had passed for the two men. They were still in Hank’s office when Logan came to fetch him a little while later. Any sort of nerves that Spencer might’ve felt at the start were long gone by now. He and Hank were sitting on either side of a desk with papers strewn out between them that were full of notes, numbers, and equations, and they were chatting animatedly when Logan rapped his knuckles against the open door.

The two scientists looked up at the same time to find Logan standing there chuckling at them.

“Ah, Logan.” Hank set down the pen he held and visibly gathered himself from the science in front of them. “I take it you’re here to collect our young friend?”

“Yep. Got the Danger Room booked for the next hour. So, gather it on up there, pup. We got places to be.”

Spencer had to blink his eyes a few times and shake his head just the slightest bit to clear himself from the formulas that had been spinning inside there. It wasn’t easy to draw himself out of a good science binge. His brain took a moment to be able to switch gears completely. When he finally took in Logan’s words, they didn’t make quite as much sense as he’d expected, and he furrowed his brow a little. Had he heard him wrong? “Did you say ‘Danger Room’?”

Grinning, Logan nodded. “Yep.”

When he offered nothing else, just kept on grinning, Spencer shook his head. Asking would likely only get him either more short responses or just a grin and nothing else.

After promises to meet up again, and an exchange of both email and phone numbers, Spencer was led away from Hank’s office and down a few more halls again. None of Spencer’s gentle probing along the way revealed anything more than that this ‘Danger Room’ was a training room for mutants. Aside from that, Logan seemed content to let him wait and find out what it was.

The room that Logan led him into didn’t seem all that special. Spencer’s eyes ran all around him. The walls and floor were white and there was absolutely no furniture in sight. The only thing that broke up the simplicity of the rather large room was that there was a windowed room about three quarters of the way up one section of wall. Inside, Spencer could see Charles, Scott, and Jean.

Logan’s voice drew Spencer’s attention back down to him. They were standing in the middle of the room now and Logan had stopped and turned to face Spencer. “All right, pup. You remember us talkin’ a bit about the room we got that lets us test your powers safely?” Logan didn’t wait for an answer before he lifted a hand and gestured around him. “This is it. In here, there aint no way you’re gonna be able to hurt anyone if you let go. It’s made to hold in mutant powers.”

That was – Spencer’s eyebrows shot up and he looked around him with a new interest. What was it about the room that made it safe for mutants to use? There had to be something special about the walls that helped them to contain powers. Did they employ some kind of magic? Maybe a combination of magic and science? Spencer couldn’t discount that possibility. Not after he’d been brought to this realm by magic and he’d seen Stephen use it plenty of times. “So, we’re going to test out my powers in here?”

“Yeah. Stark said you guys wanted some hard facts on the limits of your powers and all that. This is where you can get it.”

That sounded amazing. Spencer had been dying to get some accurate readings of his powers as well as a feel for the range of them. Very rarely did he get to use his electrical powers for more than flying or enhancing himself. A few energy blasts here and there, maybe, a shield or two, but he never got to really _let go_. The idea that he might be able to in here was both awesome and terrifying. There were worries that cropped up in the back of his head, though: what if this place really couldn’t hold him? What if its shields were somewhat based in electricity? Anything Spencer did might destroy that.

He had to know, though. Or, at least, he had to try.

Spencer looked up once more as he felt an edge of curiosity and slight impatience start to touch at his shields. Someone was curious about what was going to happen and more than ready for it to start. When he looked up at the window again, he was pretty sure he knew which one it was, and it just so happened to be the one he was least comfortable having up there.

Something must’ve showed on his face or leaked through his shields. Logan’s hand settled on Spencer’s shoulder and brought his focus back down to the man beside him. When Spencer looked at him, he found Logan had furrowed his brow and his bright blue eyes were watching Spencer with a sharp look in them. “What’s going on, pup?”

“Is… is everyone planning on watching up there?”

“Not if you don’t want ‘em to.” Logan said immediately.

No, he really didn’t want them to. Charles was fine – he’d sort of expected that. But Scott and Jean? He barely knew either one of them. More than that, though, he couldn’t shake the edgy feeling that was settling over him. Spencer briefly cast a look up at the observation room and then back at Logan. The other man wouldn’t judge him for what he had to say, would he? He seemed like the type to understand. Spencer took a second to debate the risk of telling Logan versus not saying anything. It didn’t take him long to make a choice. “I understand why the Professor is up there, and I don’t mind your presence, but I don’t… I’m not entirely comfortable with being on display in front of others. Especially…” Especially in front of someone who had spent their first meeting assessing and then detailing to him what kind of a threat Spencer and his powers could be. While he understood why Scott had done it, and he knew the man was likely only here to assess him again and see how to help, it left Spencer feeling like an enemy who was being watched for signs of weakness, signs of how to take him down.

Understanding lit up Logan’s eyes. He tilted his head up towards the control room, and a moment later Spencer saw as Jean and Scott left, leaving only Charles in there. Logan must’ve said something with his thoughts for Charles to hear. “There,” he said, turning back to Spencer. “Now, you want me in here with you, or up there, or you want me to come back and grab you once you’re done?”

“I don’t want to keep you if you’re busy.”

The hand on his shoulder moved and thumped the side of his head. Even as Spencer scowled, giving a low “Hey!”, Logan was glaring right back at him. “If I didn’t wanna be here, I wouldn’t. Now, which one do you want? Pick, otherwise you’re stuck with me in here.”

Rubbing the side of his head, Spencer scowled. He answered, though. “Up there.” Using his electricity around Logan wasn’t something he really wanted to do. Especially since he’d learned about the metal that coated the man’s bones. It was no wonder that Spencer’s electricity liked him almost as much as his empathy did. Adamantium was an amazing conductor.

Spencer stayed in the middle of the room while Logan went up to the control room with Charles. When he was there, Spencer heard a click and then Charles was speaking to him through a speaker – one that Spencer couldn’t find. “All right, Spencer. Now, what we’re going to do is run a simulation in the room around you. We want to test your abilities and there is no better way to do that than in a combat style scenario.”

“What that means is you’re gonna be fighting your way through this,” Logan chimed in.

Oh, great. That sounded _wonderful_. Spencer was wishing abruptly that he’d worn his uniform instead of the comfy slacks and hoodie he had on. Couldn’t they have at least warned him about this?

“It’s going to be disorienting when I turn the simulation on,” Charles warned him. “Keep in mind, Logan and I will be here the entire time, and should you get in any sort of trouble I will not hesitate to turn things off. That being said, you _can_ be injured in here, so please be careful. I won’t be putting any innocents in here to protect – that means that everything you see is a hostile and should be taken care of accordingly. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.” Not that he didn’t wish he’d been warned. No one had mentioned this to him. Had they mentioned it to Tony? Probably not. If they had, the engineer would want to be here with them. Smothering a sigh, Spencer pulled off his hoodie so that he was left in just a t-shirt, and he tossed it to the side of the room.

Any thoughts Spencer had about that were gone as the room actually _transformed_ around him. Where there had once been a simple, basic room, nothing special, now it appeared as if Spencer stood in the center of a forest. It didn’t just look like it, either. All of his senses were engaged. Sight, smell, sound, touch, even _taste_. He swore he could taste the faint hint of wet pine in the air. The only thing that didn’t match was _sense_. His internal senses picked up on the usual electricity in the city around him, just like always, but his empathy picked up only on Logan and Charles nearby. And granted, animals didn’t register beyond basic simple emotions most of the time, but a forest like this should have plenty of them in it.

The nerd in Spencer roared to life, demanding to know how on earth it was possible. Even as the rest of him was practical, shifting his weight and adjusting to the now chilly space he stood in, his inner scientist was screeching and demanding answers – answers he knew he wasn’t going to get. Their secrecy on that thus far told him that much. Still, it wasn’t going to stop him from probing a little later during his therapy session. Maybe he’d be able to weasel something out of Charles while they talked.

Any further thoughts on it were cut off when Spencer felt something electric pop up in the distance. Then another. And then another.

Spencer instinctively shifted his weight into a defensive stance. He’d dealt with enough robots to know what they felt like. _Charles said everything in here should be considered a hostile and dealt with accordingly._ That meant that these weren’t _good_ robots.

The young genius took a second to marvel to himself at what his life had become. Standing in a strange room that had the ability to change so completely it fooled almost all his senses, about to use his _mutant powers_ to fight off _robots_ , and mentally debating the different between _robots_ and _good robots_. Jesus, his life was weird!

Then there was no more time to think. One of the robots broke through the trees and Spencer had to push aside everything to focus on the fight in front of him. He wanted to take away good results from this, better ones than he’d gotten at home, and to do that he needed to focus. So he shoved everything else away, gathered his power in his hands, and smiled.

* * *

Spencer was sweating by the time they turned the simulation off. The room slowly returned to normal around him as both the scene and the enemies he’d been fighting vanished. It left him standing off to the far right side of the room, power still crackling all along his hands and arms. He drew it back in himself until there wasn’t a bit of it left on the outside. Only then did he lift a hand to push his hair back from his face. In his time here his hair had grown and it was just a bit below his chin now. Either he needed to invest in a ponytail, or a pair of scissors, one of the two.

The doors on the other end of the room opened and Spencer dropped his hand from his hair as he watched Charles come in, with Logan just a step or two behind his chair.

“That was quite impressive, Dr. Stark.” Charles was smiling as his chair silently moved forward. “I must say, I think you exceeded my expectations in quite a number of ways. Your control over your powers is more than we typically see for someone with such little time and practice under their belt.”

Spencer’s lips quirked up at one corner. “I’ve had excellent teachers.” It also made a difference that he was far more controlled than the average teenager. Sure, his body was physically young, and that meant that the chemicals and hormones in him were the same as any other sixteen-year-old, but his mind had the age, discipline, and control of someone in their thirties.

“Yes, I’m sure you have,” Charles said, nodding.

A movement from Logan drew Spencer’s attention in just enough time to see the feral flick a hand towel his direction. Spencer caught it and shot his friend a grateful look. “Thank you.”

Logan smirked at him. “You look like you needed it.”

There wasn’t even any point in acting ashamed of it. Spencer brought the towel up and wiped it over his face and down along his neck. “I wasn’t aware I was going to be training. If I had been, I would’ve at least brought my suit with me. As it is,” he spread his arms out a little in a gesture meant to encompass his now disgusting clothes.

His not-so-subtle hint wasn’t lost on either man. Charles kept his face composed even as Spencer felt his amusement. “We have showers down here you can use if you’d like to clean up. We also have some school clothes I’m sure you can wear.”

The idea of showering down here had Spencer trying not to grimace. No doubt it was going to be a public shower; the kind seen in locker rooms across the country. Spencer had far too many negative memories of those kinds of group showers to ever want to willingly step foot in one again. However, he also wasn’t fond of the idea of walking around in dirty, sweaty clothes, or with the salty sweat that was already starting to dry on his skin.

Logan saved him from having to make a choice. “Forget that, you can come upstairs and use my shower, kid. I got one of the few rooms that has its own. We’ll snag you some clothes and you can head up there and get clean without anyone comin’ in to bug you.”

That sounded Heavenly. With a promise from Charles that he’d have all the data gathered and ready in an hour to give to Spencer at their session, the young genius gathered up his hoodie – which had, amazingly enough, been right where he left it once the room became normal again – and followed Logan out of the room and back up to the main part of the house. From there, they went upstairs and off into what Logan told him was the ‘staff wing’. Then he turned them into a hallway he promised was mostly empty. “Just me an the Cajun stay down this hall. He should be in class now, so you shouldn’t have any problems.”

The bedroom that he led Spencer into was surprisingly different than what he’d expected. It wasn’t styled like the rest of the house; at least, not entirely. There were double doors that led to a stone balcony, and it had its own fireplace – a master bedroom, then, instead of a regular room? Or had it been converted? – but the rest of the room spoke of a more…Japanese influence. The low bed, the single piece of art, even the slippers that sat at the edge of the bed.

Logan didn’t say anything about it. He just led Spencer through the room and over to one of the two doors. One of them, Spencer assumed, was a closet. The door that Logan opened led him into a rather luxuriant looking bathroom. The sight of the tub was enough to have Spencer wanting to moan happily.

The bathroom was _huge_. Most of the things in this place were, really, and the bedrooms were no different it would seem. Spencer was willing to bet that the other rooms on this floor weren’t as nicely set up. Likely, from the sounds of it, they had a communal bathroom somewhere. The way Logan spoke indicated that his bedroom was rare in the fact that it had a private bath. That meant that these rooms were likely bigger, and just a bit fancier. Guest suites instead of just rooms. Spencer definitely wasn’t going to complain. He stared around the bathroom and felt just a bit envious.

There was a large tub dominating the far side of the room. It was set in stone, with a partially frosted window there to allow a person to look up and out, but to keep private at the glass closest to the tub. Either side of the room had a sink and vanity, and off to the left of the tub Spencer noticed that it wasn’t just a decorated wall; there was a space to slid the door there and step into a shower. To the right of the tub was another alcove that hid the toilet, giving a bit of extra privacy.

Okay. Yeah. Definitely more than just a bit envious. There were a few things that Spencer would change, maybe some darker woods or a bit more stone, but he’d always _loved_ the slightly medieval feel to some places, and more than once he’d fantasized a little about having a mansion like Rossi did, only more _castle-like_ and less ‘rich Italian’, as Dave liked to describe himself and his style.

Logan’s chuckling drew Spencer out of his head. “Take your time, make yourself at home. Towels are on the table next to the tub, an I’ll grab some extra clothes and toss ‘em in on the counter for ya.”

The idea of Logan coming in while he was in here wasn’t one that bothered him, much to Spencer’s surprise. Even with Derek he’d been a bit hesitant or embarrassed when the guy had helped him to the shower while he was hurt, or when he’d even opened the door and left clothes on the counter – and that had been with Spencer behind frosted glass in his shower! But with Logan it was just… different. Though that might’ve had something to do with the fact that Spencer knew the guy truly saw him as the ‘kid’ or ‘pup’ that he called him. Not just because of his body, either, but just because Logan was older, and he seemed the type to take care of people.

Even so, Spencer waited until Logan was gone and the door was firmly shut before he went over to the shower. As amazing as a bath sounded, he knew he needed to at least get the sweat off his skin, first. He didn’t really want to sit in a tub and soak in his own sweat and dirt.

The shower was wonderful, one he could’ve lingered under for quite a while, yet he made a point to get out after he was clean. As good as the shower felt, he knew a hot bath would feel even better, and there were more than a few bruises from his training session that could do with a good soak.

He got out of the shower to find that the tub was already full of steaming water, a cup of coffee and a sandwich on a plate had been set on a metal cart that was right beside the tub, and clean clothes were on the counter. Spencer made a mental note to do something rather amazing for Logan. He wasn’t sure what, but _something_.

Relaxing into the bath was every bit as wonderful as Spencer had imagined it would be. He lost track of time a little as he let the heat of the water soak in and chase away some of his aches. It was hard not to marvel a little at how much the heated water helped. There was a time in his life when even a hot bath wouldn’t have been enough to ease some things. Spencer could remember more than a few cases where he’d come home from work sore after chasing an Unsub, or getting tackled, or a million other things, and he’d soaked in a bath only to practically drag himself out and almost crawl back to the bedroom. Advil and sleep helped him feel a bit better, though usually he woke up stiff and achy the next day. Now? Now, he could spar with Clint, workout with Jim, go out patrolling at night with Peter, and still manage to get up and do it all over again the next day. _Ah, the advantages of youth_.

* * *

Eventually, the water started to cool, and Spencer made himself get up. His sandwich and coffee had long since been finished; he stacked the dishes on the cart while grabbing a towel. Once he’d cleaned up, dressing in the soft black sweats – a bit too big, he had to tie them off at the waist – and the blue shirt with the Xavier’s logo on the front, he gathered up his own dirty things, tugged on his hoodie, and made his way out of the room.

He found Logan standing on his balcony having a smoke. The feral turned to look at him as he came out, and he flashed one of those grins that showed just a hint of fang. “Feelin’ better?”

“Most definitely.”

“I grabbed a backpack while I was gettin’ the clothes. You can toss your shit in there.” With a gesture of his hand, Logan indicated the backpack on the floor beside his bed.

Spencer gratefully squatted down beside the bag and stuffed his dirty clothes in there. “Thank you. I wasn’t looking forward to simply carrying them home.”

“No problem, kid.”

Once his stuff was inside the bag, and the bag was zipped up and set to the side, Spencer pushed up to his feet and made his way over to join Logan on the balcony. He didn’t stand right beside him; he didn’t really want to breathe in all that smoke. Instead, he perched on the balcony railing, facing in towards Logan. “You have a rather amazing bathroom. I’m quite jealous.”

Logan snorted at him. Sharp blue eyes ran over Spencer before rolling a bit. “You’re gonna get yourself sick, sittin’ out there with wet hair.”

“That’s a myth, you know.” Bracing his arms on either side of him, Spencer shifted his weight until he was comfortable, his legs free to swing just enough that he could knock his heels together. “Cold and the flu are caused by viruses. You need to actually be exposed to an infectious agent to get an infection. Going out with wet hair doesn’t make you more susceptible to catching a virus. It’s more a matter of discomfort. The only way it could make you actually ill was if the weather was cold enough to cause hypothermia, which would be hurried along by having wet hair as it’d likely freeze.”

Amusement shone in Logan’s eyes. They were crinkling at the corners from his smile, though he was shaking his head at him again. “Nerd.”

“Heathen.” Spencer shot back.

Neither one had a chance to say anything else. They were cut off by the sound of Logan’s door snapping open hard enough to hit the wall. Spencer watched in surprise as a man came storming into the room, practically growling as he kicked the door shut behind him with another loud _bang_. “I swear, Logan, y’ better fuckin’ lock Remy in y’r room, cause he’s about ten steps away from goin’ an rippin’ out every fuckin’ feather in dat Goddamn bastard’s wings!”

The man stopped his stomping about halfway into the room; right about the moment that he looked up and noticed someone else was on the balcony with Logan. He froze and stared at Spencer, who was staring back just as much.

The first thing Spencer noticed about the man was his eyes. They were kind of hard _not_ to notice, really, and were rather pretty. Instead of having white sclera like most, and a random colored iris, this person had _black_ sclera and red irises, giving them a unique appearance. The second thing Spencer took note of was that the person couldn’t be anymore than eighteen or twenty. He was tall, slender, yet not rail thin like Spencer was. Even in the jeans and t-shirt he wore there was still obvious muscle. Auburn hair was pulled into a messy bun with little bits of it hanging down towards his face. He had a five o’clock shadow dusted over the sharp lines of his jaw, and full lips that were currently twisted into a scowl.

That scowl faded away as his eyes reached Spencer’s face. It was like someone flipped a switch. One instant the man was stalking in here and scowling, his anger almost _pouring_ off him in waves that tingled like electricity against Spencer’s skin, and the next second his posture was relaxed and he was all smiles. If Spencer hadn’t been able to still feel the anger, he wouldn’t have known the man was upset anymore.

With an extra sway to his hips that hadn’t been there before, the man walked towards them, lips curving up even more. “ _Je suis désolé, mon ami._ Remy didn’t realize y’ had company here. An such gorgeous company at dat.”

Blush colored Spencer’s cheeks. When the guy saw it, he winked, which only made his blush worse.

Logan didn’t hesitate to reach out and clip Remy on the back of the head when he got close. “Leave him alone, brat. You aint pickin’ up jailbait in my room.”

The word ‘jailbait’ had an almost immediate effect on Remy. The edge of honest interest in his words vanished, as did the heavier flirtatious edge that had started to take his features. Now, it shifted into something more teasing, kind of like the playful flirting that Tony did with people when he didn’t really mean it. It was a point in this guy’s favor. Or, not ‘this guy’. Remy, it would seem. The fact that the Cajun spoke in the third-person was something the psychologist part of Spencer’s mind took note of.

Stepping forward, Remy executed a bow that was elaborate enough it would’ve been perfect with a coat or cape to sweep out of the way. “My apologies, cher.” He straightened up and smiled at Spencer, showing off the kind of cheekbones that probably made people a little bit jealous. “I hope I aint made y’ uncomfortable. Remy LeBeau, at y’r service.”

“Dr. Spencer Stark.” Spencer lifted a hand and waggled his fingers in a small wave. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard plenty about you.”

Realization flashed through Remy’s emotions and briefly widened his eyes before they narrowed down just the slightest bit into something more contemplative. “ _Oh_ , well now. Remy’s heart plenty about y’ too, cher.”

“Gumbo’s the only other person here that knows about you,” Logan said, before Spencer could begin to wonder about Remy’s comment. The feral flicked some of the ash off his cigar. “Chuck had to explain some things to him so he could understand why we were askin’ so much about empathy. No one else here knows, so don’t worry about that. An he aint gonna go around telling anyone, either.”

Remy scoffed at that. “Of course not. Remy aint gonna go spillin’ secrets that aint his! It’s good to finally meet y’, though. Been hopin’ we’d get a chance to meet up an talk. Aint ever had another empath to talk to before. Den again, Remy aint exactly a normal empath.”

“How so?” Spencer couldn’t help but ask. He’d had talks of empathy with Stephen, who had some experience, but this was his first chance at talking to someone else who possessed the ability, and he had to admit he was curious.

Getting comfortable, Remy sauntered forward and hopped up to sit on the railing like Spencer was, only just a little ways away, putting him between Spencer and Logan. He settled in a lot more casually; he was half slumped, one leg drawn up so his heel could rest beside him and his arm was free to sit on his knee. A cigarette seemingly materialized from nowhere and was brought up to his lips. To Spencer’s surprise, Remy pressed a finger to the tip and there was a bright flare of pink, a small pop, and his cigarette was lit. Only then did Remy speak again. “Aint exactly got typical empathy, me. De charm power, it only lets me sense a little of de room around me. Can feel y’r curious, an dat Logan’s amused, _mais_ not much more. It’s more… projection.”

“Projection is actually the area I’m weakest. I’ve gotten better about it, but more often than not people can still tell it’s not their emotion that they’re feeling.” Though he’d noticed when he was stressed or upset that he seemed to pack more of a punch behind it.

Remy gave a small ‘hmm’ as he blew out a stream of smoke. There was something in his eyes just then; an old pain that Spencer could _feel_. “Count y’rself lucky den. Remy projects mostly _lust_. Little bits, it makes people like me enough to wanna listen when Remy says somethin’. More dan dat, well, I’m sure y’ can imagine.”

The bitter edge to those words as well as the pain that Spencer still felt were more than enough to help paint a picture that had Spencer wanting to shudder. “Quite.” He wasn’t sure what was worse – projecting lust and being unable to control it, or picking up on someone else’s lust. Either way it would be easy for the emotion to overpower the parties involved, and the end result would likely be the same.

The mood around them could’ve easily turned dark, and fairly quickly too, if Remy hadn’t suddenly perked up and flashed a grin at him. “Hey, at least dat aint everything. Y’ got other powers too, _oui_?”

Spencer nodded his head. “Electricity manipulation.” It was the most simplistic description for what he could do, really, and encompassed quite a bit. To demonstrate, Spencer lifted one hand from the railing and drew on his own internal energy, letting it grow and crackle around his hand like livewires. Little twisting lines of power came from each fingertip to coalesce into a ball in the middle of his hand that slowly grew until it was the size of a baseball. Spencer let it sit there for a moment before he drew the energy off his arm and his fingers and then solidified the ball that he held. Then, because he couldn’t quite resist the spark of mischief, he let his lips twitch up into a little half-smile and he tossed the ball at Remy.

The way the Cajun jerked back from it was more than a little amusing. Spencer quickly called up a shield behind the poor man that caught him like a wall so he wouldn’t go falling backwards. The energy ball landed right in Remy’s lap and sat there, waiting to be picked up.

Both Spencer and Logan laughed at the slew of curses that Remy let loose. For a second Remy glared at him, though there was no real heat behind it, and then he dropped his focus down to his lap. He didn’t hesitate to put his cigarette between his lips so he could reach out with both hands and cautiously scoop the ball up.

Now that he was steady, Spencer vanished the support, though he let the ball stay. It was fun to watch as Remy rolled it around in his hands and poked at it. “It don’t feel like nothin’,” Remy finally said, sounding surprised. “It’s like a regular ball, only… warm.”

“I learned how to do that early on. I can keep the energy raw, compact it into different shapes, and turn it solid if I wish.”

“Huh. Dat’s a neat trick.” Grinning, Remy tossed it back. Spencer brought a hand up and let it hit his palm. Instead of catching it, he simply absorbed it back in, drawing the energy back into himself. That only made Remy laugh. “Hell of a neat trick. Remy’s got one, too.” That said, he flicked his wrist and drew a card from somewhere – really, where on earth did he keep getting these random things? – and held it for a moment as it steadily grew _pink_. Then he flicked his wrist again and sent it up into the air, where the card _exploded_.

Spencer’s eyebrows shot up with surprise. “You can make things explode.” That explained what he’d done to his cigarette. A low, miniscule explosion would be enough to ignite the tip of that cigarette just enough for him to puff it to life.

“ _Oui_. Only if it aint alive, though. Henri says dat it’s just accelratin’ de molecules in somethin’ till they explode.” With another of those grins, the Cajun winked at him. “Remy just says he can blow shit up.”

The idea of that power was _fascinating_. Spencer could only imagine the types of things that had happened before he’d learned control. More than that, though, the idea that the only other person he knew with any kind of empathic abilities also had an energy based defensive ability – perhaps it was a sort of built in defense for empaths? Something to help keep them safe? On its own, empathy could prove to be a dangerous power to have. One that could end up with a person being hurt. Maybe this was a way of balancing that out and offering them protection.

Thousands of questions were passing through Spencer’s mind. Questions, theories, things that he wanted nothing more than to sit down and investigate a little, maybe speak with Hank about

He was cut off by the sound of Logan chuckling. “Forget it, Cajun. You lost the kid. Once that brain of his gets going, either you’ve lost him, or you better settle your ass in to answer half a million questions.” He turned to flash his smile at Spencer. “Questions you aint got time for, pup. Chuck just reached out to me. He’s ready for you down in his office.”

Oh. Spencer drew his thoughts back under control, mentally logging all of it away for later, once he was back home and down in his workshop – _his workshop_ , that was still an idea that he couldn’t quite get over.

Once he did, the rest of Logan’s words sank in and Spencer grimaced. Right. Therapy. He was supposed to be talking to the Professor today, doctor to patient. Not exactly something he was looking forward to. _You promised you’d do it. After that stupid panic attack, you need this. What if you’d hurt Tony? What if you’d hurt any of them? Hell, you_ did _hurt Stephen! There’s no telling how you’ll react when you’re freaking out like that._ The fact that he hadn’t actually harmed Tony – had, in fact, gotten rid of the energy instead of flinging it at him – was only a small point in his favor.

Spencer resisted the urge to sigh as he slipped down off the railing. “I should probably get down there, then. Thank you for letting me use your bathroom, Logan.” He turned a small smile Remy’s direction, just barely there compared to his ones from before. “And it was a pleasure to meet you, Remy.”

“De pleasure’s all mine, cher. Maybe we can talk more later, yeah? Logan’s got Remy’s number, y’ can just get it from him.”

The smile Spencer wore grew a bit more honest. “I’d like that, thank you.”

Without another word, the young genius turned and made his way back inside, snagging the backpack with his things as he headed past. Time to get this over with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, for those that don't know him, here was a small dose of Remy AND his accent, written out for you to read. If you don't like him or you're opposed to his accent, this is the time to let it be known :)
> 
> Otherwise, I hope you liked this chapter that felt a lot like filler, LoL. Up next, we get to see some of Spencer's house, Vision has a surprise request for Spencer, there might be some Peter&Spencer bonding time, and Christmas is coming!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So listen, this is my (SpencerRemyLvr) idea for our story, and I'm not sure how y'all are gonna take it. If it's gonna seem plausible, or weird, or whatever, mais I've had this idea from the get-go and I told K we had to have it in here. So if you don't like it--blame me :D :D :D

**December, 2016**

The air was chilly as Spencer made his way out his window and out into the night. He pulled his arms in close and let the sleeves of his sweater drift down enough to cover his hands. The ride from his window down to where he needed to go only took a few minutes, yet they were _cold_ minutes. There was the definite threat of snow in the air as they hit December. The snow hadn’t fallen yet, but it was only a matter of time.

Spencer was more than grateful when he was able to lower his platform to the ground. As it faded away, he blinked his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Then, unable to help himself, he smiled at the house in front of him.

Even though Spencer had been in here a few times already, he hadn’t quite gotten over the awe as he walked up to his _house_.

Tony had tried to say it was just a _little_ house, like that would make Spencer any less shocked or awed by it all. Honestly, though, it was little in the sense that anything Tony did was little. The house itself hadn’t been built with Spencer in mind; as Bruce had once told him, Tony had built a few homes on their expansive property, most of them around the lake while maintaining a good distance apart to keep private, to house any families of the Avengers Initiative that wanted privacy. He’d simply taken one and repurposed it for Spencer’s needs. Or, he’d taken the one that had originally been intended for _him_ and repurposed it for Spencer’s needs.

The house was two stories, not including the workshop basement, and looked simple enough from the outside. Dark wood, set nicely in the trees to almost blend in, which was such a contrast to the very modern feel of the Compound buildings. The front porch encompassed the entire front of the house and was done in the darker wood with stone supports. It also had a hanging swing on one side and space on the other for some chairs. Seeing it always made Spencer want to smile. However, it was walking inside that always got to him.

Walking through the front door put him in the foyer, with a door to his right for the coat closet, and a door to his left that led into the study. On the far side of the study there was also a private bathroom, something which Spencer could enjoy. He’d like being able to be in his office and not have to go running off for a bathroom if necessary. And he could really see him spending a lot of time in the office/study. Tony had gone all out, lining three of the walls with bookshelves and packing them full of books. There was also a large, beautiful desk that was no doubt an antique of some point, plus a few comfortable wingback chairs and even a chaise. The only thing it was really missing was a fireplace.

There was a fireplace in the house, though. It was just in the living room, which was at the end of the foyer. Here, everything was so warm and welcoming. The big stone fireplace took up most of the space, and the dark stone paint on the walls might’ve made it feel dark if it weren’t for the splashes of color here and there in the art on the walls, the sage green paint, the furniture that was colored like dark sand, and the purple and blue throw blankets that were tossed on the couch and chairs.

The kitchen was separated from the living room, and it was just as beautiful in there. That room was large enough to hold both kitchen and dining room together. In there, the woods were lighter, more walnut than mahogany, and the walls were this almost red, almost… burnt orange sort of color. The table could’ve easily held eight people at it, and there was a small bar that acted as divider between the two spaces and boasted two barstools.

Upstairs was where the bedrooms were. Three of them, which was excessive for Spencer, but he hadn’t complained. One of those rooms could easily be converted into a room for Peter to come and stay in when he wanted, and the other would work as a guest room. The master bedroom was Spencer’s personal space, and it was the space where he showed most of his own style. The large sleigh bed was made of walnut, with blankets in varying shades of darker purples, and it was absolutely, insanely comfortable.

At the back of the house there was a deck that gave a perfect view of the lake. Here, there was space enough for a grill, more chairs even, and a little path at the bottom of the stairs that led down to the water.

All in all – the house was gorgeous, insane, and so much for just one person.

Spencer loved it.

He loved the privacy of it. He loved the thought that had gone in to things, and the warmth he felt each time he stepped in here. This was the perfect place to come and get the privacy he needed sometimes. It was great for coming and relaxing without anyone close enough to irritate his shields or make him feel anything he didn’t want to feel.

Tonight, though, wasn’t about relaxing. Spencer was here for a purpose. He’d gotten a request from Vision earlier just after training, asking if they could meet down here tonight to talk. The fact that he’d been quiet about it and had made a point to wait until Tony wasn’t around to ask made it clear this was private. So, curious though he was, Spencer hadn’t pressed. He’d just agreed and set a time to meet down here.

He was early, of course. It gave Spencer time to shake off a bit of the chill and start turning on lights. His shoes were kicked off and left by the side of the couch. Using his powers to help lift things, Spencer got a few logs in the fireplace. He solidified the energy he was using and then let it act like a second pair of hands to prep and then start the fire while he used his physical hands to go around the room and turn on a couple lamps.

Using his powers like this was new – something that Charles had suggested after Spencer’s training session there. He theorized that Spencer could use his energy the way that many telekinetics used theirs. “It’s an extension of you, Spencer. It is yours to command. With the right amount of practice, I’m sure you can refine your control of all aspects of it.”

Because of that, Spencer had taken to practicing using his powers in different ways, trying to do as Charles had suggested and refine them.

As soon as the fire was blazing, Spencer went into the kitchen and set about using what little stores he had here to prepare some tea. Vision generally preferred tea over coffee. Doing it was a soothing thing that killed just a little more time, too. The perfect amount, it seemed. No sooner had Spencer brought a tray of it out to the coffee table in the living room than he felt Vision coming close. Spencer smiled to himself and leaned just enough to look down the long hall to the front door. Could he…ah! He used his energy to grab the door handle and open the door right as Vision reached it.

For a moment, Vision just stood there, staring at the door. Then he looked up and down the hall at Spencer. A ghost of a smile touched the edges of his lips. “I see you’re developing your father’s sense of theatrics.”

Spencer let out a low laugh at that. “Heaven forbid.”

The door shut softly behind Vision as he made his way inside. He was hesitant in his movements like he wasn’t quite sure of his welcome here or what he should do with himself. Spencer knew that feeling; he’d been in people’s houses plenty of times and felt that awkward and uncomfortable sensation of being someplace new and not quite sure how things worked in this space. Because of that, he set about easing Vision’s nerves as best as he could, gesturing with one hand towards the couch, opposite from the end he was sinking down into. “Have a seat, Vision. It’s cold out there, so I made us some tea.”

“Thank you.” Vision slid gracefully down into his seat in a way that Spencer was just a bit envious of. No matter how much training he had, the young genius still hadn’t mastered moving that easily or gracefully. But Vision did it without thinking, sinking down and crossing his legs. He accepted the tea that Spencer handed him and smiled as he curled his hands around the mug. “The cold doesn’t bother me the way it does the rest of you, but I find I quite like the warm feeling one gets from a mug of tea.”

“I do, too. I grew up in Las Vegas, which isn’t known for its cold weather, and then I spent part of my teenage years in California. Warm weather was what I was used to by the time I joined the Bureau. Moving to DC was… interesting.” To say the least. Spencer curled his legs up and drew his cup close, smiling a little as he remembered what it’d been like. “I was taller than I am not, but probably close to the same build, so I wasn’t physically built to retain heat. My first winter there, I felt constantly like I was freezing. Warm drinks became a godsend. It wasn’t until a few years later that I stayed over at my friend Derek’s house during the winter time and I discovered how great a fireplace could be. I’ve wanted one ever since.”

Vision raised his mug in a sort of ‘cheers’ gesture. “And now you have one.”

Chucking, Spencer raised his glass as well. “Indeed I do.”

They both took a moment to sip off their drinks. Spencer could see the indecisiveness on Vision’s face and he could feel in his emotions just how unsure he was about whatever it was he wanted to talk about. At the same time, he could also feel how much Vision wanted this. How _eager_ he was with it.

It only took a minute or two for the other man to finally seem to settle himself. His emotions shifted to something a bit more determined and he sat up a bit, angling his body towards Spencer. “I would like to ask a favor of you, Spencer. One that you are more than welcome to say no to.”

Spencer tilted his head a bit as he studied Vision’s face. “What do you need, Vision?”

“It is not what I _need_. More, what I want.” The android paused only briefly before he settled on his words once more. “You have been practicing your control over your electric powers quite a bit lately. From what I’ve gathered of your interactions with FRIDAY and the bots, your control within the systems of the Compound is quite strong.”

The sudden switch in topics had Spencer floundering only for a moment. “Um, yeah. Yes. Working in the systems like that, it’s a lot easier than anything else I use this energy for. If I focus enough, it’s almost like… like a have a visual interface inside my head. All it took to understand it was some lessons in coding. Not only is FRIDAY an excellent teacher, it’s all basically a series of numbers, and numbers have always been something that comes easy to me.”

“Do you feel you would be able to potentially take two codes and separate them?”

“How do you mean?”

Vision paused for a moment. “Say that some accident took the coding of Dum-E and U and combined them together. Do you think you’d be able to separate them from one another?”

Hmm. Could he? Spencer tried to picture it. If someone took those codes and mashed them together, would he be able to pick them apart? “I’m not sure.” His words were hesitant as he tried to think his way through it. Furrowing his brow, he dropped his gaze down to stare sightlessly into his mug. “I… maybe. However, there’d be a risk of making a mistake and accidentally pulling off part of one that I shouldn’t, or leaving behind something. I think it’d be far easier to sort through it and, maybe, make a copy of one of them. If I sorted through the bundle of them, I could find all the bits that I knew were Dum-E’s and copy them onto something else, and then do the same with U’s. That way I’d be able to look at them both afterward and decide if they were complete or if I’d missed something, or if there were something extra there. It’d be the safest possible route, I think.”

When he looked up he was surprised to find that Vision looked a whole lot more interested than he had before. He also looked more excited. Still, he didn’t jump right into his request. “Has anyone mentioned to you how I came to be?” he asked instead.

Spencer slowly nodded. “Peter explained a bit, and FRIDAY gave me some information.” He knew Vision was an android, a creation born of Ultron and… and _JARVIS_. Spencer’s eyes went wide as the implications of what Vision was saying finally started to sink in. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of it earlier! “You want to try and copy JARVIS’s data out of you.” _Holy shit_.

Bright eyes locked on Spencer and stared, unblinking, full of more emotion. “Because of the damage done, there was nothing left of JARVIS when Ultron was done. But his coding exists inside of me.”

“Tony could’ve recreated him.”

Even as Spencer said it, Vision shook his head. “Not the JARVIS he knew. If he had tried, it would’ve been the one who had existed years and years ago. JARVIS was a learning AI. Who he was, who he had grown to be, was so very different from the program that Tony started with. Then, later, I fear he believed I would take some sort of offense to it were he to even think about making an attempt.”

That sounded very much like Tony; giving up on something important to save someone else pain. No matter how much it hurt.

There was grief in him, Spencer knew, for the loss of his old AI. Even FRIDAY tread carefully around any mention of JARVIS. From Spencer’s understanding, he’d once been one of the most important beings in Tony’s life. To lose him had been akin to losing a child or a brother. Knowing that, would it be right of them to try and bring him back? “I don’t know… I don’t know if that’s our place, Vision. I don’t know if we have that right.”

Vision didn’t dismiss his worries. He thought about them for a moment, the two of them quietly sipping off their drinks. It took almost ten minutes for Vision to finally speak again. “The parts of me that come from him… I do not have dual personalities in here. I’m not part Ultron or part JARVIS. With Tony’s help, I’ve come to see myself as simply me and no one else. But… there are pieces of him in here. Like a child takes parts of their parents, so I have parts of them inside of me. The parts that come from JARVIS – there is an affection that I have carried for Tony Stark right from the start. I believe… I believe that, were it possible, JARVIS would want to do anything to come back to him. And is it not more his choice than anyone else’s?”

That – there was no way that Spencer could argue that. He knew better than most just how unique and individual an AI by Tony was. They were more than just programs. If FRIDAY showed the ability to express emotions, then it would be safe to assume that JARVIS had as well. He’d been ‘alive’ far longer, gone through so much with Tony. If Vision, who was the closest connection they had to JARVIS, felt that this was what he would want, who was Spencer to argue with it?

It was with that thought that Spencer knew what his answer would be. What it had always been going to be from the instant Vision had brought this up. Still, he had to point out “You realize there’s no guarantee I can do this. I don’t know the code for JARVIS like I do, say, FRIDAY.”

Vision looked like a weight had been lifted. When he smiled, it was much easier than it had been before, and much more open. “I believe that I can be of assistance there. I know my own coding. I believe that, with your help, I can separate those that were purely JARVIS. I also have something that may help us.”

“Oh?”

“When JARVIS was destroyed, his servers remained, though they’re damaged. Perhaps there’s a chance you can look on there and recover some of the lost data? I believe that’s something people do with computers.”

Spencer narrowed his eyes as he thought about it. Could it be possible? No one would know the coding inside of Vision better than Vision would. With him pointing out what he was positive belonged to JARVIS… there were undoubtedly going to be some holes, but some of those holes would be easy for Spencer to see and fill in. It’d be like looking at a code; once he had most of the pieces, some of the other ones would be easy and logical to fill in. This might… it might actually work. “We won’t be able to do this without his servers. Not just the old damaged ones, but new ones. I’m going to need somewhere to copy the code into.”

Already his mind was spinning ahead with countless ideas. This wasn’t going to be an easy task. It was going to take a lot of work on both their parts and there was no guarantee it was going to work in the end. But if they could do it? Maybe, Spencer could finally give something back here to the person who had given him so much.

The smile Spencer wore when he looked up was wide and bright. “You bring me those servers, and I’ll do anything I can to help you.”

Vision practically beamed at him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took us a bit longer. We were updating pretty quickly for a bit, but it'll probably be a few days between things because it's back to work as usual after our 5-day-weekend. But here, enjoy this! And PLEASE keep in mind we aren't scientists, or really all that smart, so our attempts at sounding scientific are going to fall far flat

**December 2016**

(One Week after the Last Chapter)

It turned out that making plans for their ‘Christmas Project’ was a lot easier than actually getting things started. Not a one of them had much free time as December fully hit.

For Tony, there was a lot of work at SI for this month, a lot of things that needed to make sure they were ready for the holiday season. One of their cell phone programs had a few kinks in it, and it’d taken Tony two days shut away in his workshop to be able to figure it out. On top of that, it seemed like Doctor Doom was coming out quite a bit more lately, and the Fantastic Four weren’t around to deal with him. Of course.

That made plenty of work for the Avengers. Sometimes even Peter and Spencer got caught up in it if they came across something during their nightly patrols.

For Spencer, it felt like there was stuff to do _everywhere_. Patrols, training, his weekly therapy sessions with Charles, and somehow in all of that he had to try and figure out a way to get some Christmas shopping done – what the hell was he going to get everyone?? – _and_ make some time to get started on his secret plans with Vision. Not the easiest of tasks. There weren’t enough hours in the day for him to get it all figured out, it felt like.

But he knew he’d figure out something. Even if it meant going without sleep for a little while. He could just… borrow some energy from the Compound or something. Thanks to FRIDAY he knew that he could ‘charge’ sometimes when his energy was low. He’d just have to try and do that to keep himself going, just until the holidays were over. After that, he’d be able to take some time and get some much-needed rest.

* * *

Almost one week exactly after Spencer and Vision had met and talked, the android found him at breakfast and let him know that he’d delivered the necessary servers to Spencer’s workshop. Not just the new ones they’d use, but the old ones as well. “How’d you get them out of there without him realizing?” Spencer asked, a bit surprised.

Vision smiled. “I had a little help.”

He wouldn’t say anything more about it, and Spencer eventually had to just trust that Vision had managed it without getting caught. How he wasn’t sure, and he was more than a little curious, but he was going to trust him. There were more important things to focus on now anyway. Their first big hurdle had been overcome; they had the servers, old and new. Vision had done his part of things. Now it was Spencer’s turn to do his part.

Curling his hands around his mug, Spencer stared down at his morning coffee and tried to mentally plan the next few days out. It’d be easier to do some work on the weekend, there was more free time during the day, at least. But he might be able to get a good start on things over the next couple of nights. “Give me a night or two to work through them and see what I can recover on my own. If we get lucky, there might be more there than we’re expecting. It’s only Wednesday now, so I think that by Friday we should be able to meet and start the next step. Saturday at the latest.”

“Saturday morning seems like a good time to start.” Vision agreed. “Your training is usually less on the weekends, correct?”

Spencer lifted one hand and waggled it in a ‘so-so’ gesture. “It’s more lax, at least. Uncle Clint doesn’t make me get up as early on the weekends, but that’s mostly because he likes to take the time to sleep in and hang out with his kids. We usually try and at least spar sometime in the afternoon. But other than that, no, there’s not really much else on my weekends. I know Tony’s going to be busy a lot this weekend, too. He’s got a meeting with the Accords council members on Sunday afternoon that he said might keep him through most of the day, so we’ll have plenty of time then.”

“I’m quite sure we’ll manage to make things work.”

That was Spencer’s hope. He thought about it after Vision left. Sitting at the bar with his coffee, Spencer contemplated what they were trying to do and what it might mean – not just for Tony, but for the rest of the house too. There was more than only the humans here to consider. Spencer closed his eyes and reached out to the other person in their home that this was going to affect. The one who’d likely feel the repercussions of it the most, next to Tony. **FRIDAY, do you have a minute to talk?**

Her reply was almost immediate. **Of course, Little Doc. What can I do for you?**

 **I know you probably caught a bit of my conversation with Vision there, just as I figure it probably didn’t make much sense. Initially, this was something that we were going to keep quiet about, as it’s about a Christmas present for Tony, but I’m not entirely comfortable proceeding without talking to you about it first.** It didn’t feel right; not with what they were planning. **If I promise that it’s not harmful to Tony, the Avengers, or SI, can you keep this secret?**

 **Absolutely,** FRIDAY answered him quickly. She sounded a bit nervous but as eager as she ever did. **Boss has rules set up for gifts, so no one spoils it for anyone else.**

Good. That made things a lot easier. Spencer settled himself in and took a drink off of his coffee as he started to explain to FRIDAY what it was that he and Vision were going to attempt to do. There was a big part of Spencer that was worried about what FRIDAY might think. Currently, she was the AI in charge of everything. The Compound, any of Tony’s houses, his suits, SI, _everything_. How was she going to feel about them bringing back the person who’d used to run all of it? There was no way that Tony would just kick her out completely. Of that Spencer had no doubt. But would she be okay with being relegated to second best?

He really should have known her better. He also should’ve remembered who it was he was working with here. FRIDAY surprised him when he finished, and she told him **Vision already spoke to me about this, little Boss. We’ve got it all planned out on our end, don’t you worry. He asked me long before he came to you.**

There was no way Spencer could stop his body from slumping down with relief. **Oh, that’s wonderful. I’m so glad to hear that.** He paused for a moment, chewing on his bottom lip. Guilt twisted around in his stomach. **I’m sorry I didn’t think to ask about that before I agreed to this.**

A little buzz ran along their connection. Spencer considered that the electronic equivalent of _pleased_. **You came to me now, little Boss, and you were ready to figure out something. That’s what matters.**

Warmth filled Spencer. He did his best to mimic the little energy pulse she’d sent him and send it back to her. It was the only way he could think of to let her know that he was just as pleased with her as she was with him.

The two settled down into a comfortable silence together without ever breaking their connection. FRIDAY was a beautiful, relaxing presence against Spencer’s senses, keeping him grounded as his brain once more began to drift off on plans of what they might be able to do and how it was going to work. Wrapped up in her and his own ideas, he never noticed when Jim and Bruce came into the room, nor as Jim tried to speak to him. Spencer was lost inside his head. He’d crossed his legs under him in the chair and had his arms resting on the bar, cup cradled between his hands and eyes fixed sightlessly on the liquid inside. Spencer didn’t know it, but FRIDAY was keeping a close watch on him. She was able to sense just how deep in thought he'd gone and knew that someone coming right up to him right now would startle him.

That was why she made a point to speak up when Jim tried to call out to the teen. “Little Boss is a bit busy right now,” she told the two men who were standing nearby, watching. Down at the other end of the hall, the elevator gave a low ‘ding’ that drew their focus and had both Bruce and Jim turning just as the doors opened. Overhead, FRIDAY said, “Why don’t I take you two on up to Boss’s floor to have a bit of breakfast? I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.”

Jim shot Bruce an amused look and found that the other was looking just as amused by this. “I get the feeling we’re being pretty politely kicked out of here,” Bruce said dryly.

Chuckling, Jim cast one last look back at Spencer, who hadn’t moved at all. “Yeah, I’m getting that feeling too.”

Neither one of them argued it, though. Both Jim and Bruce let FRIDAY take them away from their floor and up to Tony’s level. The AI made sure that only the kitchen was open to them, as per the rules, though these were two that were always trusted in Boss’s space. She also let the Boss know that he had two guests in there stealing his food, though she didn’t tell him it was her that sent them there. But she was quite pleased with herself when it kept the little Boss safely left alone.

This wasn’t the first time he’d gone this deep in thought; usually, though, he only did it in the privacy of his rooms. There, it was easy for FRIDAY to look after him – and he definitely needed someone to look after him like this. He got wrapped up enough in his head when he started trying to puzzle something out that the rest of the world tended to get ignored. There’d been times that FRIDAY had seen what it did to him. The way he’d bump into things, or stumble over stuff because he was too caught up to pay attention to where he was going. How he’d forget things like food, or sleep, or once even that he needed to open the bathroom door before trying to go inside.

Little Boss was vulnerable like this, and FRIDAY was going to make sure to look after him, just as Boss had directed her to do from the moment he’d come to stay here.

* * *

Spencer didn’t get a chance to go down to his workshop until after his patrols with Peter that night. Though he knew he was likely going to regret it come morning, sleep wasn’t an entirely plausible thing at the moment, and it was better to go ahead and do something with his time instead of just lie awake in bed. They’d had more than a few issues on their patrols, and it’d left Spencer a bit sore but pretty energized. He was still buzzing with some of the energy he used by the time he got to his house.

After letting himself inside, Spencer took a moment to lock the door. Then he conjured a ball of light above him instead of bothering to turn any lights on. It wasn’t like the young genius was planning on staying upstairs. The light followed him as he made his way in towards the living room.

Instead of stepping out into the central part of the room, Spencer took the hidden door to the right just inside of the living room – the fact that the door was _hidden_ had Spencer wanting to snort out a laugh even as he enjoyed the gesture – where there was a small room with an _elevator_. This was where the house definitely showed that Tony had once planned to use it for himself. According to what he’d told Spencer, this was originally going to be his own little hideaway, which was why it had the hidden workshop. Only, with most of the team gone, he’d ended up settling in up at the Compound just so it wouldn’t all be empty for those remaining behind, and then he’d gotten comfortable up there.

At the moment this was also the only place in Spencer’s house that FRIDAY was hooked up to. The elevator and the workshop below were as open to her as the rest of the Compound. There was the potential for her to be in the rest of Spencer’s house if he wanted; he just hadn’t activated the systems in there yet.

He pressed his hand to the wall of the elevator as it took him down. “Good evening, FRIDAY. How was everything while I was gone?”

“Good,” she answered promptly. “I let Boss know you made it home, so he’s finally packing it in to go to sleep, and the rest of the Compound is already in their beds. Everyone’s safe and healthy.”

That was the kind of report he liked to hear. Spencer smiled up at the camera he knew was in the corner of the elevator. One last pat on the wall and then he was stepping out as the doors opened and let him into his workshop/lab.

Walking in here was kind of like walking into an actual piece of _home_ for Spencer. Here, there was no one else around, no chance of anyone but FRIDAY seeing him – Tony had promised not to review any footage FRIDAY took unless for emergency purposes – and no risk of anyone watching him. Spencer was free to let himself go in here in a way he wasn’t anywhere else. Even upstairs there was the risk of someone coming by, or someone being near a window to watch him, or a million other paranoid possibilities. Down here? Down here there were no windows, and the ventilation system wasn’t big enough for anyone to climb through. It was just Spencer and his lab, his machines, and he loved it.

Off to one side of the room, the tables there had vanished down into the floor to make room for the rows upon rows of servers. There were quite a few of them, and they took up a _lot_ of space. This was just the bare minimum of what they’d need, too. Later on, if things worked out, they’d probably end up adding more.

Pulling his mask off, Spencer tossed it onto a counter to his left. For the moment he left his suit on, though there was a change of clothes over in the workshop’s bathroom. A shower, too, which he might make use of later. For the moment he wanted to at least take a look at what he had here so he could start to figure out what exactly needed to be done. Anything else could wait until he knew what exactly his evening was going to consist of.

Spencer rubbed his hands together to warm them up as he made his way across the room. “All right, FRIDAY. Since everyone’s asleep, do you mind helping me out for a little bit?”

“Whatever you need, little Boss.”

His lips twitched up in a brief smile. “All right. Let’s lock down the lab. I’m going to settle in with the old servers and try and see what’s on there first. I need to see if there’s actually any data left on them or if they were completely destroyed. Let’s mark the time I settle in, and set up an alert of some sort to pull me out once an hour has passed.” The last thing he needed was to get in really deep and lose hours. He wasn’t sure how this was going to go, and he wouldn’t until he was actually in there, but he wanted to be prepared.

Spencer grabbed one of his chairs and rolled it past a few tables until he could bring it right up to the first row of servers. He was going to have to go through them one by one and that… that was going to take time. He rolled his shoulders to chase away some of the tension in them and then shook his hands out. All right. Time to get started.

Calling up his energy was easy. Once it was in his hands, Spencer reached out and laid his palms on the first server. He let a small pulse of power run through the machine, just enough to wake it up, and then he reached out like he did when reaching for FRIDAY. Spencer had studied for this ever since Vision first brought it up. He’d studied how a connection was made between two computers, or between a phone and a computer, or any two pieces of electronics. He’d practiced that by trying to link to a computer or to his phone, and he’d found it could be done after a bit of practice. That made it easier for him to reach out now.

Blue light flickered to life in Spencer’s eyes. It shone in little flashes through his eyelids and occasionally even sparked across the rest of him. FRIDAY kept a careful watch on him as Spencer used that power to dive down into the machine in front of him.

* * *

It took twenty minutes for Spencer to work through that first server. What he found on there was a _lot_ of data. A _lot_. Not complete, no, there were definite gaps that he could see in things. Holes that hadn’t just been eaten away but looked as if they’d been _torn_ apart. It made part of Spencer ache in ways he couldn’t explain.

When he pulled back out, it took a few moments for him to blink his way back to awareness. Going from the digital world to the real world was a bit disorienting. In there, everything was electricity and codes, lines of programming that, at the time, were kind of like a book that he could manipulate with just a _thought_ , and tons of binary that he was getting more and more used to. What he’d found in a standard phone or computer, though… he’d started to understand those and how to manipulate rather easily.

Learning those was like learning addition – easy and straightforward. These servers? Tony’s coding? It was like trying to learn inverse problem theory while simultaneously learning French, German, and Greek, but only after decoding the thirteen levels of encryption it was all hidden underneath – and oh, hey, surprise! The encoding was all written in _Latin_ , so don’t forget to translate _that_ first. It was both beautiful and frustrating.

Spencer leaned back in his chair and rubbed a hand over his face. _Jesus, what on earth did I get myself into?_

“Little Boss?”

Without bothering to open his eyes, Spencer pinched the bridge of his nose and massaged at the light ache there. “Yes, FRIDAY?”

“Your vitals are fluctuating. Are you all right?”

“Mmm.” He let his hand drop down with a soft sigh. He didn’t bother opening his eyes yet, though. “I’m all right, thank you for asking. I just… I think I finally realize just how brilliant Tony actually is. Insanely brilliant. Just the small glimpses I got in there – it was _amazing_ , and light years beyond my own skill level.”

“Does that mean you won’t be able to do this?” FRIDAY asked cautiously.

One corner of Spencer’s mouth curved up. “Absolutely not.” There was nothing in the world he loved more than a challenge. One thing he could say about this universe – it definitely gave him plenty. Back home, Spencer had generally been the smartest person in the room, leagues ahead of most of the people around him. Here, he was still a genius, yes, but he wasn’t anywhere on par with Tony or Bruce. Their intelligence far outranked his. He knew that Tony argued that, and just how desperately the other man wanted to try and test Spencer’s smarts, but Spencer knew himself well enough to know that he fell short of the kind of brilliance that Tony or Bruce had. Seeing the work Tony had done here only helped confirm those thoughts for him.

Still, what he was doing here wasn’t trying to break Tony’s encryptions or even try and rewrite JARVIS. No, what he was doing was _identifying_ and _copying_. With the servers, he was going to have to find any damaged parts of the code and make copies of the good parts that he could then transfer over to the new servers. Then he’d have to look at Vision and try and identify the elements of him that were JARVIS and the parts that weren’t and copy the pieces of JARVIS to add to the rest of it. Once they got it all together, he’d have to look at it and see if there was anything left missing. From there, FRIDAY would likely be able to help him. Especially if she had access to any of JARVIS’s original coding.

This wasn’t going to be an _easy_ process. It was going to take a hell of a lot of work on Spencer’s part to get it all done. This was going to be a challenge unlike anything else he’d had here.

He found himself grinning as he straightened back up. “Let’s get to this. I want to see if I can get at least half of these sorted before I go to bed.”

With FRIDAY watching, Spencer prepared his powers once more, and then he dove right back in.

* * *

He managed to get through just shy of half of them before FRIDAY convinced him to head upstairs to sleep. The few hours that he managed to catch weren’t really enough and the only thing that got him through morning training was the colossal breakfast he’d consumed and the bit of energy charge that FRIDAY had given him. If anyone noticed, they didn’t comment on it, for which Spencer was grateful.

As much as he disliked doing it, Spencer text Peter and let him know that he wanted to take a few nights and stay into work on a private project, one he’d explain to him later. Peter messaged him back with tons of exclamation points and smileys to let him know he had no problem and to offer his help if needed, and after a bit of prodding, he also promised to get a hold of Spencer if any emergency cropped up.

That left Spencer’s nights free through the weekend. He was free to slip out of the Compound under the pretense of going out with Peter, only to end up down at his house instead, back in the basement with those servers.

By the time Vision joined him on Saturday night, Spencer was ready for him.

* * *

It was the first time anyone had been down in Spencer’s workshop with him. He was grateful that Vision didn’t seem inclined to go and poke around the way that Spencer knew others might’ve. Instead, he followed Spencer over to where one of the tables had been cleared earlier just for this purpose. The two had already talked at length about what it was they were going to have to do for this moment. They had plans and contingencies built into place. Spencer wasn’t entirely happy with it; it felt horribly invasive, what he was about to do. But Vision was more than fine with it

“Here,” Spencer stopped beside the table, stuffing his hands down into his pants pockets. “Just, um, just lay here. It’s probably not the most comfortable, but it’ll make it easier for me to do what I need to if you’re comfortable and relaxed while I’m doing it. Hopefully, I mean. I’m not entirely sure. This isn’t exactly something that I’ve done before, so it’s all just theory at the moment.” Only with great effort did Spencer manage to snap his mouth shut and stop the flow of words that continued to try and come out. This part of things made him nervous. The more nervous he got, the more he tended to babble.

Vision didn’t look the least bit bothered by any of this. He didn’t _feel_ it, either, much to Spencer’s surprise. He was just, calm. Understanding, even, judging by the smile he wore as he sat on the table. He didn’t reach out to Spencer the way that others might have. Instead, he just locked eyes with him and gave a small nod. “It’s going to be fine, Spencer. I have faith in us.” With that proclamation, he turned his body and lifted his legs up on to the table.

 _‘I have faith in us,'_ he said. Spencer shook his head. _At least one of us does._ Hopefully, that would be enough.

He pulled over the chair that he’d left here earlier for this. Once he was seated, he rolled himself up towards Vision’s head. Already, Vision had his eyes closed, his hands folded comfortably over his chest. Spencer just stared down at him for a moment and tried to gather together his courage. It took a lot of effort to make his voice work without any trace of his fear. “I’m not sure how this is going to feel, Vision.” This wasn’t the first time Spencer had pointed this out, yet he felt the need to repeat it. To make sure that Vision understood. “You’ve held up okay to some of my minor charges, but this is going to be reaching down inside of you and sifting around. If it hurts, or if you decide you don’t like it, I need you to let me know. Please.” _Please don’t let me hurt you. Please don’t let me do anything to you that you don’t want._

Vision smiled and kept his eyes closed. “You have my word, I will let you know if I need you to stop.”

“Okay.” Okay then. There was no more holding back on this. Spencer shook his hands out and shifted around in his seat until he was comfortable. If this was anything like delving into Tony’s servers, it was likely going to be insanely consuming and more time would pass than he would realize. “FRIDAY, enable safety protocol Oscar-Uniform-Charlie.”

“Safety protocol enabled,” FRIDAY replied.

Good. Spencer nodded before putting his focus back on Vision. With the safety protocol in effect, they’d be covered if something happened to either one of them. “All right, Vision. Are you ready?”

“Yes.” Vision answered simply.

“Okay.” No more wasting time. Spencer shifted into place right at the top of Vision’s head and then lifted his hands to curl over either side of his face. His thumbs came up to rest over Vision’s cheekbones while his pinkies curved towards the back of his head until he had Visions’ head cradled between his hands. With one last, final breath, Spencer called up his personal energy the same as he’d been doing the past few days, and then he _reached_.

* * *

When Spencer had planned out what needed to be done with Vision, he’d come to the conclusion that there were really only a few options. He couldn’t spend days reaching into the being and copying parts of his insides. Not only was that invasive, but it also wasn't practical. Logic would dictate that he just copy all data he found and then sort through it afterward, but the last thing Spencer wanted was to accidentally end up creating another Ultron and unleashing it on the world. That meant that Spencer had spent time studying what he could find on the information about Ultron, about JARVIS, and about Vision, and mentally preparing himself for what needed to be done.

There was nothing that could have prepared him.

What he found inside of Vision was vast, immense, and so beautiful. Yet it was also overwhelming. There was more than just _codes_ and _programming_ in here. He was JARVIS and Ultron. He was Vision, made of the two and yet something entirely his own, born into a synthetic skin. Brought to life by a hammer forged from the heart of a dying star, coursing with electricity all his own, and fueled by a tiny shard of blue power that tried to reach back to Spencer even as Spencer fought to avoid it.

 _The mind stone_. It sat on Vision’s forehead, a leftover remnant of something bigger, something much more powerful, and still very much _alive_. Only Vision’s control kept it from jumping straight into Spencer the instant they connected, or from trying to fry him in sheer protective reflexes.

There were beauty and pain all blended together with an intoxicating mix of _power_ that Spencer found himself wanting to both wrap himself up in and yet draw far away from.

_JARVIS. I’m here for JARVIS._

That reminder helped him to focus. It gave him a little more strength and put him back on the right course.

Even so, it was a painstaking process, once that Spencer was sure he never would’ve been able to complete if it weren’t for the fact that Vision was conscious of what was happening to him. Their connection allowed them to be close and to speak much in the same way that Spencer and FRIDAY could communicate. They worked together; Vision steering and Spencer going where directed. There was pain – of course there was pain – but Spencer made sure to tug it away, to keep it from hurting him. He wasn’t going to let his powers hurt Vision if he could help it. Spencer drew it into himself and ignored the burning along his nerves and skin.

He continued to ignore it as he grit his teeth and let Vision steer him to the next spot.

* * *

There was no telling how much time passed before Spencer finally managed to break himself free. His whole body felt alight with _power_ and information, and it was crackling all along his skin, aching to be free, pushing at the edges of his mind. Spencer’s eyes snapped open, unseeing, and he twisted himself to slap his hand down against the empty machine that sat beside him. His body jolted as the copies of what he made were ripped out of his mind and poured down into the device in agonizing streams of data.

When it finally stopped, when it was all done, Spencer let out a gasp and the power abruptly left him. He would’ve sunk straight down to the ground if a pair of arms hadn’t been right there to catch him.

There was a haze on Spencer’s mind that made it hard for him to think as he blinked a few times and tried to focus on the feel of those arms and why they seemed so familiar. It took a few blinks for him to finally clear his gaze enough to recognize the worried blue eyes that were looking down at him. Spencer took a few more blinks. Then, somehow, he managed to croak out “Uncle Clint?”

“What the hell are you up to here, kiddo?” Clint grumbled at him. He tried to draw Spencer upwards only to freeze when Spencer’s legs refused to help support him. There wasn’t even any hesitation on Clint’s part; the man merely swore and shifted them both back down a little until there was enough room for him to tug Spencer’s upper half in close with one arm and swipe his other down underneath Spencer’s legs. Then he hefted him up in a smooth move that would’ve had Spencer blushing and stammering at any different time.

“If I might suggest,” FRIDAY spoke up, her voice steady and warm and not at all worried, which helped Spencer to relax a little. If FRIDAY wasn’t worried, he didn’t need to be worried, either. “Usually when he’s overexerted himself, rest and food are helpful. If you take the little Boss upstairs and set him up on the couch, a warm fire and some blankets would help him be comfortable, and something to eat would help bring back some of his energy.”

The next voice to speak was Vision, and hearing him made Spencer relax even more now that he knew his friend was all right. “I brought food earlier when I arrived. I’ll reheat it if you settle him into the couch.”

“Sounds good,” Clint said, shifting Spencer’s weight a little, and then they were moving, the world-shaking a little as Clint started to walk. “But then someone’s explaining to me what the hell is going on.”

Spencer dropped his head against Clint’s shoulder. He tried not to let himself be embarrassed about the fact that he was being carried upstairs like a child. His body was exhausted, his nerves felt like they were burning and tingling a little, and his emotions felt a little raw. Clint’s presence was a nice balm he really didn’t want to lose. He relaxed against it and let it soothe him through their ride upstairs.

When it came time to set him down on the couch, Spencer was alert enough to recognize what was going on around him, yet still raw enough that he found his hands clutching at Clint’s shirt when the archer tried to set him down and let him go.

Clint paused only for a second. Then he patted gently at Spencer’s hands, and he flashed him a small smile. “Just for a minute, Spencer. I promise.”

It took a little effort for Spencer to make himself actually let go. Curled up in the corner of his couch, he drew his hands in towards his waist and tried not to shiver while he watched Clint go over and quickly and expertly start a fire in the fireplace. As soon as it was going, he was coming back towards Spencer, snagging a blanket off one of the other chairs and bringing it with him. Then he surprised Spencer by lifting up the young genius’s legs and plopping down on the couch next to him before settling Spencer’s legs over his lap. Next, he spread the blanket out over him, tucking it in around him in a way that showed the father inside.

Vision came in then, a container of something that smelled like lo mien in his hands. He passed it over to Spencer with a, “Here, it should be cooled down enough,” and then he set down the mug he had with him on the coffee table closest to Spencer.

Food, warmth, and his family around him, all of it worked to ease some of the raw feelings inside. Spencer knew he was going to pay for tonight for a little while; his body was going to require a lot of sleep and plenty of food for breakfast to help make up for this. But all of this definitely helped.

Vision sat down in a nearby chair, his movements just a bit slow, and Spencer narrowed his eyes as he looked him over. “Vision?”

“I’m fine,” Vision said, smiling softly. “A bit tired, but fine. You were quite cautious and protective. I felt no pain in your presence, Spencer.”

Oh, good. Spencer had really, really hoped for that.

A low pulse of worry and something akin to annoyance drew Spencer’s attention back to Clint. He found his Uncle looking back and forth between the two of them with one of those looks that clearly said he was done playing around. It was a look Spencer had seen him wear with his kids when they were fighting, and he was tired of hearing it. The look promised that they were going to explain themselves, now, or they weren’t going to like the consequences. Clint backed that up a second later when he demanded “Someone’s going to start explaining things to me, _now_. Why the hell did I get woken up by FRIDAY telling me I needed to get down here and not tell anyone what was going on?”

For the first time, Spencer noticed that Clint was dressed only in sweats and a t-shirt. He didn’t even have a coat! Seeing it made Spencer wince. Guilt wiggled a little in his stomach. “I’m sorry.” The apology was immediate and sincere. Worrying Clint hadn’t been his plan. Setting down his fork, Spencer focused fully on the archer, ignoring the food in front of him for the moment. “Vision and I were working on a project that I knew carried a risk, so I enacted safety protocol OUC just in case. I’m assuming FRIDAY felt concerned about my vitals or something if she’d already called you in before I’d even pulled out.”

“And what the hell were you two even doing?” Clint demanded.

It wasn’t Spencer who answered that. Vision spoke up in a calm, steady voice. “At my request, Spencer has been trying to copy some of my personal data to see if we can bring JARVIS back.”

The words were said quietly, yet the weight of them had Clint stunned into silence. He stared at Vision with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open just the slightest bit. Spencer could easily feel his shock. “You…you’re…” Turning, Clint shifted his wide-eyed gaze to Spencer, and what he asked wasn’t quite what Spencer was expecting. “ _You can do that_?”

Clint wasn’t the only one watching him for an answer. Vision was staring at him now as well, waiting to hear what Spencer had to say, what his verdict was here. He knew what kind of data Spencer had gathered from him, but Vision didn’t know what data Spencer already had, or how it all pieced together. At the moment, Spencer wasn’t entirely sure either, but he enough for a general idea. Still, he was a bit cautious as he said “I think so.” He drew in a breath and carefully blew it back out while he tried to make his exhausted brain work. Half of what he said next was directed at Clint, but the rest was for both of them. “We’ve been trying to gather what leftover bits we can to see if it’ll be possible to piece JARVIS back together. Not the early version of him, but the one he was before Ultron destroyed him. I’ve got his old servers downstairs, and I’ve gathered what remnants I can off of those, and tonight, as you saw, I went in with Vision’s help and copied the data there that was JARVIS. There was quite a bit – more than I anticipated.” It’d also been rather easy to tell which parts were JARVIS. In working with the servers, Spencer had learned the elegance of JARVIS’s coding, and it made it easy to recognize.

“Do you really think you can do it?” Clint asked.

“I don’t know,” Spencer admitted honestly. “Maybe? I’m hoping so. I won’t be sure until I get a chance to look at what I gathered tonight and piece it together with the rest of the bits that I have. It’s going to take time. I need to sort through it and make sure that I don’t have any duplicate information and then try and find the ways that it all fits together. If I put something in the wrong spot, it could mess everything up. It’s like a giant, 3D jigsaw puzzle, and each piece is _vital_. It’s not going to be easy work.” Sighing, Spencer rubbed a hand over his face and tried to snap himself awake a little more. “I mean, I’m smart. I don’t deny that. But Tony? Tony’s _brilliant_. Especially when it comes to his AIs. There is no one out there who matches him on brilliance when it comes to these. I couldn’t even begin to hope to come close. To do so would take _years_ of time and practice. The only thing that’s making this whole thing even remotely possible is the fact that I’m not trying to _crack_ his coding, I’m only trying to copy and piece it together. I hope to get his core together and some of his memory banks and then he might be able to actually help in the process of putting himself back together.”

The living room fell silent as Clint seemed to process everything that he’d just been told. Vision was quiet, his head tipping back a little in his chair like he was more tired than he’d been letting on. Spencer turned his focus to his food and tried not to inhale it all in one big bite.

Clint didn’t speak again until Spencer had finished eating. His worry had slowly faded away, though. Now there were others things in its place; things Spencer was too tired to parse out. But he felt Clint watching him, and he knew there was a bit of concern in the other man’s eyes. “This is why you’ve been so tired the past few days.”

“Night is the only time I’ve really got to work on things,” Spencer said, shrugging.

“I was wondering. We thought maybe you were getting sick or something.” Clint paused, and his expression turned thoughtful. “I could probably swing a few days off from training. Tony won’t be surprised if I do it. He’ll think I’m just worrying like he is. Hell, he’s already suggested a break for the holidays. If I tell him I want you to take some time and relax, he won’t think anything of you spending your time down here. That should give you some daytime hours to work in so you can get some sleep at night.”

That sounded _wonderful_! Before Spencer could perk up, though, Clint kept going, and his expression turned firm.

“But – I’m gonna be here while you’re doing it. Ah!” He held up a hand when he saw Spencer getting ready to protest. “I’m not debating this, Spencer. You didn’t see what you looked like when you pulled out back there. Your vitals were off the damn chart. FRIDAY and I weren’t sure if you were even gonna manage to stay conscious. So yeah, you wanna do this, you better believe I’m gonna be here. Or I swear I’ll march up there and rat you out to Bruce and you can deal with _him_.”

Spencer narrowed his eyes and glared. “That’s playing dirty.”

The bastard, he didn’t even look the least bit bothered by that. In fact, he _grinned_. “Damn straight.”

Really, it wasn’t that bad of a compromise. All Clint was asking was to be here with him while Spencer did something potentially dangerous. As little as Spencer liked the idea of having a _babysitter_ , he was smart enough to realize that this was quite the deal he was getting here and he was more than lucky that Clint hadn’t already gone to Bruce with this, or just taken Spencer straight to him when he practically passed out.

All of that flashed through Spencer’s mind quickly. When he focused once more on Clint, only seconds had passed, but that was long enough.

Spencer gave the older man a crooked half-smile. “You’ve got yourself a deal. Welcome to the team, Uncle Clint.”


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter is a lot of randomness, Spencer and Peter reconnecting, and it ends on a ball of fluff and I don't even care. These Christmas chapters are stretching out more than planned, seeing as how these were just supposed to be snapshots, small glimpses into Spencer's life as he settles in.

Piecing JARVIS back together wasn’t the process of days, as Clint seemed to think it might be when he first joined the ‘team’. Spencer knew it wasn’t going to be that quick or easy. This wasn’t the work of days – it was the work of _weeks_. It was also work that Spencer threw himself into headfirst.

The fact that Clint insisted on being there to watch over him was probably a good thing right at the start. Between him and Vision, they kept Spencer somewhat grounded, not allowing him to get too lost in his work. They also made sure to keep him fed and force him to rest. Spencer was big enough to admit that he was grateful for it. He’d always been the type to lose himself in his work and this was no different. If anything, this was _worse_ , because it was something new that Spencer didn’t understand. Something that he desperately _wanted_ to understand.

Every line of JARVIS’s coding was nothing short of _beautiful_. Spencer could understand now why Penelope had always loved computers if this was what she dealt with. The complexity and beauty of JARVIS was something that Spencer felt he could spend hours and hours studying. More often than not, that was just what he did, too. There were times that Spencer sat studying the pieces in front of him for hours before he finally found where one fit with another. Other times, it was like all the pieces just sort of fell into place.

When Clint realized that this was going to take a whole lot longer than he thought, he adjusted his game plan. Instead of trying to spend as much time with Spencer while he worked as he possibly could, he started to divvy up the shifts with Vision, and they spoke with FRIDAY to try and restrict Spencer’s access to things when they weren’t around to help him.

Spencer put up with it with as much grace as possible. Protesting wasn’t likely going to do much. Still, he couldn’t deny that it chafed just the slightest bit.

That was probably why he jumped so readily at the idea of leaving the house when Peter messaged him that they should go out and do some Christmas shopping. Not even fifteen minutes later he was dressed in his best incognito clothes. They weren’t much, but they were enough to hopefully keep him from getting recognized while out and about.

He’d pulled on one of the pairs of jeans that he’d gotten back when he’d first stayed with Peter. They were old and worn down enough that they were _soft,_ not scratchy like denim could sometimes be. He’d also pulled on the Aerosmith shirt that he’d stolen from Tony a while back, and his most comfortable dark red hoodie.

Spencer gave himself one last look and then nodded at his reflection. It’d do well enough. Though… he reached out for the ponytail on his bathroom counter even as he called out “FRIDAY, if Tony has a second, would you mind pulling up a quick call for me?”

He’d just managed to finger-comb most of his hair back into a bun when a video popped up on the right side of his mirror – because of _course_ Tony had his mirrors set up to send and receive video calls. It wasn’t like a bathroom was _private_ or anything.

Tony looked like he was in the middle of some sort of meeting with the other Avengers. Jim was in the background, as well as a woman that Spencer didn’t recognize. It was Tony’s face that dominated the screen, though. The engineer looked like he was in full _Tony Stark_ mode; suit, carefully styled hair, even his trademark sunglasses. But the smile he wore was open and honest and full of that recent affection that wasn’t _bad_ but Spencer still wasn’t sure how to deal with. “Light Bright! To what do I owe the pleasure of a mid-morning call?”

Rolling his eyes at the nickname, Spencer nonetheless found himself smiling fondly at him. It was hard not to smile at Tony most of the time. “I just wanted to let you know I’m heading out for a bit. Peter called and he wants to get some last minute Christmas shopping in, so we’re going to go out for a little while.”

“Christmas shopping?” Tony wrinkled his nose at him. “We’ve still got weeks left!”

“As if you haven’t already bought everyone plenty of presents.” Spencer shot back.

He was rewarded with a quick grin and a low laugh. “You kidding me? Who says I’m buying anyone anything? My presence is gift enough.”

There was the sound of laughter in the background and a low “Good Lord” that had to come from Jim. The teenager rolled his eyes again and chuckled. “You’re ridiculous is what you are.”

“I’m awesome, and don’t you forget it.” The screen shifted just a little. Tony tilted his head; even with his sunglasses it was easy to tell he was running his eyes over Spencer’s outfit and the just-finished bun he’d put in his hair. The lines of his face softened a little more. “Going for the lab chic look today? I doubt anyone’s really gonna recognize you like that.”

“That would be the point.”

“Don’t you sass me, little boy blue. You want me to send Happy on over? I’m sure he wouldn’t mind driving you guys around.”

“Because nothing screams inconspicuous like having a driver and bodyguard following you around,” Spencer said dryly. He shook his head. “We’ll be fine, Dad. You worry too much. If anything happens, I have every faith in our ability to handle things, and if we can’t you’re only just a phone call away. We’ll be _fine_.”

Tony laughed again. “All right, all right. Go have fun on your playdate, sprout. Just keep out of trouble! Try not to do anything I’d do.”

With one last roll of his eyes – really, that was an almost constant thing in most conversations with Tony – Spencer held back his more sarcastic remarks and settled on a deadpan “I’ll cancel the public orgy, then. I’m sure I can find another surprise equally as entertaining for Peter this afternoon.”

He waved his hand at the mirror and FRIDAY shut down the call while people were shouting in the background and Tony was laughing. A smile ghosted over Spencer’s lips. The sass that Derek had once teased him for, which only really came out when he was tired or really comfortable, was starting to come out more and more in conversations with his new family. Clint and Tony both seemed thrilled by it.

Once Spencer had grabbed his suit – it was now stuffed down into the bottom of his messenger bag – as well as his wallet and cell phone, he was on his way out the door. He had to briefly double back when he thought about how to get out to Peter’s place without a car and without putting on his suit. That was solved easily enough by getting out his mask and the old Darth Maul cloak he’d never given back to Peter.

With the mask on and the cloak belted around him, he was pretty well hidden and safe to set off.

* * *

He found Peter ready to go when he arrived at his building. Spencer had landed a few streets away so as not to arouse suspicion. Once his mask was back in his back and his cloak was draped over one arm, as inconspicuous as he could make it, he made his way back to the familiar apartment.

May was the one to answer the door. She lit up at the sight of Spencer. “Spencer!” With her usual joy, she pulled him inside and straight into a hug. “It’s been too long since you’ve been over here, sweetheart. I’m glad to see you. How’re you doing?”

“Not too bad, May, and you?”

“Oh, you know. Same old, same old.”

Spencer was hanging up his cloak and May had just shut the door when Peter came bouncing out into the room. He was bright smiles and just radiating his happiness. “Man, you got here quicker than I thought! You must’ve flown _fast_!”

For a moment Spencer could only stand there and smile at his friend. Peter was just as exuberant as he’d been when Spencer had first met him. Back then, the young genius hadn’t been sure about this strange, bouncy kid who talked a mile a minute and gave an audible exclamation point on almost everything that he said. He’d seem too good to be true. The kind of good that was so rarely found in people anymore, it seemed. Spencer had been strangely comfortable with him right from the start, yet hesitant, because people like Peter just didn’t exist where he came from. No one was that sweet or that innocent; especially not someone that saw the kinds of things that Peter did.

Yet… that’s who he was. That fact hadn’t changed once in Spencer’s months here, and now he found himself praying that it never would. He wanted to be able to help preserve that goodness inside of the teen he proudly called one of his closest friends here. Despite the life that Peter led, it was Spencer’s most fervent wish to never see that bright light inside of him never have to dim.

Spencer’s smile softened and warmed his expression into something that only those close to him ever got to see. “It was a good flight. Cold, but nice.”

“You ready to go, then? I’ve got so much sh—crap I have to get still.” Peter cast a quick look over at his aunt, who looked more than a little amused at his almost-slip.

They took the time to say their goodbyes to May, handing out hugs and making promises to be safe and be back before dark, and to at least check in with her if they had to patrol for any reason, and then the two teens were finally on their way out of the apartment. Their plan was to head down to the Queens Center Mall and do most of their shopping there. It felt good to just walk down the street with Peter at his side, listening to the teen chatter on about school and his friends. Between school, patrols, and time spent with his other friends, plus Spencer’s own training, counseling, and recent lab time, the two teens had barely seen one another lately, and neither one had been happy with it. Being able to spend the day together now had them both relaxing a little.

A text came in from Tony as the two finally reached the mall. Spencer pulled his phone from his pocket and pressed his thumb against the screen to unlock it. When he read what Tony sent him, he snorted.

_If you need it, Happy’s at SI today. He can pick you up if you guys buy out the store and don’t want to walk. – Dad_

_Try not to buy out the store – Dad_

_I’m pretty sure I can make cooler stuff than you’ll find there - Dad_

“What’s up?” Peter asked, bumping their arms together.

Spencer tilted the phone just enough for Peter to see the screen. “He tried to convince me to have Happy drive us earlier, but I told him we’d be fine. Apparently his way around that is to make sure that Happy’s close enough to rescue us if need be.” Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise Spencer to find out that Happy or someone else had been set to follow them. Tony’s caution knew no bounds when it came to protecting people. _Especially_ his family. Spencer had understood that about him pretty quickly. And if he were being honest, as much as Spencer might not like the idea of being shadowed – especially after already having expressly turned down a driver for the day – he couldn’t really fault Tony for thinking like not. Not when he knew just how much the man had lost in his life already.

The texts had Peter chuckling. He rolled his eyes even as he grinned. “Yeah, he’s a bit, um…”

“Overprotective?”

“Yeah.” Peter’s smile grew wider, though. It was clear the idea didn’t bother him. “You sorta get used to it.”

Spencer shifted to move around a group of people as they made their way inside the mall. It was crowded, as was to be expected for a Saturday, but at least it wasn’t _too_ crowded. Hopefully they’d be able to make it through this without anyone recognizing him. “They’re _all_ a little overprotective. It’s not a trait I’m unused to in my friends, though I’m not quite used to just how intense it can be on occasion. I was more than a little relieved when you offered me a way out for a while.”

“Oh, I see how it is. You’re just using me to get away from them.”

A quick check told Spencer that his friend was just teasing him. There was nothing in his emotions to suggest that he was upset, and the lines of his face had stayed relaxed and easy. Once he was sure they were fine, Spencer rolled his eyes and deliberately bumped their shoulders again as he avoided a group of teenage girls. “Brat.”

Peter didn’t bother replying to that. Instead, he flung a hand up and smacked the back of it over Spencer’s chest while using the other one to point off in the distance. “Oh! Let’s go to the Disney store. There’s this sweater in there May’s been wanting for, like, _ever_.”

The two started out in the Disney store, where they did indeed get a sweater for May – plus some Star Wars funko pops, a Boba Fett coffee mug for Tony, a Death Star teapot for Bruce, and a few little things for the Barton kids – and then gradually made their way around to various stores on the first floor. It was pretty easy for Spencer to slip away while they were in Gamestop to grab a game he knew Peter wanted, and to do the same while they were in the Lego store.

The second floor didn’t have as much for them, though Spencer did drag Peter over to the Pandora store. “My friend JJ, she used to have a Pandora bracelet that she loved more than anything else.” Spencer explained to him as he pulled Peter inside. “She loved the stuff they have here.”

His plan was to find one of the Pandora charm bracelets and a few charms. He was pretty sure it was something Laura would love. She didn’t have much jewelry, but what she did have he’d noticed tended to fall towards the sentimental side. A locket that he knew carried a picture of her deceased sister and her, a few bracelets that the kids had gotten for her over the years. Sometimes she put on a different necklace or two, which she’d told Spencer once were things that Clint had brought back for her from missions, usually ones where he’d come closer to dying than either one of them liked.

They found a few charms easily enough that Spencer was pretty sure Laura would enjoy. After a quick consultation via text with FRIDAY, he had the birthdays for the Barton children. From there it was easy to figure out their birthstone, and then to find a corresponding charm to go with them. He also added in a ‘night sky’ charm, because he remembered her mentioning that she’d wanted to be an astrologer at one point.

“These are pretty cool,” Peter said, poking at a few of the charms on the tray. The person helping them didn’t seem all that impressed with either boy, but they’d kept quiet so far.

Spencer looked at the ones Peter had pointed to and he smiled. “Maybe we could pool together and get a bracelet for May for her birthday. Do you think she’d like it?”

“Oh, man, she’d love something like this!” Peter’s eyes were bright when he looked up at Spencer. “She’s like, really into this kind of stuff. Charm bracelets, big bracelets, the dangly ones. She always laughs when she wears them, cause she says she likes how they sound or something like that. I don’t even know, man.”

Amusement had Spencer’s eyes crinkling from his smile. He briefly looked away from the teen to tap his fingers along a few charms, letting the person behind the counter know, “We’ll take these ones, thank you, and the bracelet to go with them, please.” That said, he focused back on Peter while at the same time reaching down for his wallet. “Lots of people wear things because they like the sensory input that goes with it. Why do you think I wear half the stuff I do? Fashion isn’t something that’s important to me…”

“I can tell,” Peter teased him.

Spencer wrinkled his nose and shot a mock-glare at his friend. “Shut up.” Together, the two made their way over towards the register. Spencer was pulling out both his card and his ID by the time they reached it. “ _As I was saying_ , fashion isn’t something I consider important. I’ve always tried to dress more for comfort or my own personal enjoyment. What’s the point of wearing something if you don’t enjoy what it is you’re wearing?”

Laughing, Peter held up his hands in a gesture for peace. “Hey, you’re like, preaching to the choir here, Spence. I’m not exactly the most fashionable kid. I usually just kind of grab whatever’s clean and toss it on.”

Their cashier interrupted whatever teasing reply Spencer might’ve given by letting him know, “Your order comes to two hundred and ninety-five dollars.”

While Spencer didn’t bat an eye at the total, nor at handing over his credit card, he could feel Peter’s open shock echoed by a hint of dismay. Before, they hadn’t been looking at the prices, because Spencer knew that the price didn’t really matter. Peter must not have realized just how much this could all cost and was likely thinking about Spencer’s earlier offer to go in on a bracelet together for May’s birthday.

As his card was rung up, Spencer reached a hand out and curled his fingers over Peter’s forearm, sending him a small pulse of reassurance. “Don’t worry about it, Peter. It’s just because I got so much at once. The bracelet itself is the most expensive, and that doesn’t break a hundred dollars, not unless you’re getting one of the bundled ones. After that, the charms alone aren’t too expensive, so they make easy gifts. In fact, that’s a good motivation behind getting it. I get the feeling Uncle Clint is going to be happy I got something that makes it easier for him to find something for her, judging by how much he’s been complaining about finding her a Christmas present.”

“Here you are, Mr. Stark.” The cashier interrupted them once more to hand Spencer his card and bag. Though Spencer didn’t notice it, his tone was a lot friendlier this time now that he knew who it was he was helping. Peter took notice of it and tried not to roll his eyes while he nudged Spencer out the door.

If Peter had thought that Spencer’s purchase in Pandora was expensive, it was nothing compared to the one he made in Zales for Pepper. The young genius was quite pleased with the necklace and earring set as he tucked them down into his messenger bag.

After a brief stop at a Starbucks kiosk, the pair headed further down the second floor until Spencer caught sight of a store just up ahead. He reached out, snagging Peter’s arm while he pointed ahead of him. “Oh! Let’s go in here.”

Peter looked ahead and furrowed his brow when he saw what Spencer was pointing at. “Teavana?”

“Mm hm. If they’re anything like the one back home, they’ve got some interesting blends. I might be able to find something for Bruce and Vision in there.”

“You’re weird to shop with, Spencer, I hope you know that.” That said, Peter followed after him anyways.

* * *

They did a lot of shopping. A _lot_. It was the first time in a long time that Spencer could remember actively being out to shop that much and not ending up frustrated with it. Peter was, well, he was one of the best shopping companions that Spencer had ever had. He had absolutely no issue with stopping to grab a snack or another coffee every now and again, he kept Spencer entertained with stories that had them both laughing enough to almost get them kicked out of a store or two, and if things started to get a little difficult for Spencer it didn’t seem to bother Peter at all to duck into a mostly empty store and let him hide out for a bit until he was calm again.

Spencer had known from the start that Peter was a damn good friend. That point was only proved even more when they poked their head in JC Penney.

They’d mostly gone in there for a bit of a break from the rest of the hustle and bustle around them. While they were there, though, Spencer wanted to grab some more socks, and Peter was looking at the women’s scarves in the hope of finding something that made him think of Michelle. “Do you think she’d like this one?” he asked, holding up a scarf in darker plaid colors.

Hm. Spencer tried to picture what very little he knew of Michelle. “I think… maybe? Is she a scarf wearer?”

“Oh yeah. She has a ton of them she pulls out every winter.”

“Then you probably can’t go wrong with another one.” Unable to help himself, Spencer slanted an amused look over at his friend. “I’m sure she’ll appreciate just about anything you send her way, Pete. The fact that _you_ took the time to pick it out is all that’s going to matter to her.”

His words weren’t a lie. He was sure that Michelle would enjoy just about any kind of gift that Peter brought her. But it was worth pointing out just to enjoy the way that Peter’s blush covered not just his cheeks but up over his ears, too. Spencer laugh as Peter snapped the scarf out to try and hit him, just barely dodging around a display or two so as to avoid getting hit. “Too slow, Peter!”

“I’m only too slow cause I’m carrying half _your_ bags!” Peter called back.

That wasn’t a lie, either. Spencer had gotten enough stuff by now that Peter had offered to help it. Peter only had two bags of his own at the moment which was a far cry from Spencer’s six, some of which were a bit larger than others. While Spencer wasn’t all that fond of just going out and spending Tony’s money like this, he’d already had to sit through Tony’s lecture on “Quit worrying about my money, Spencer, I’ve got plenty enough. Unless you’re planning on going out and buying a car or a yacht or Hawaii, it’s not gonna be a big deal, I promise.” So, while Spencer wasn’t entirely comfortable yet at knowing that he wasn’t going to be paying this back somehow, he’d at least accepted it.

In his effort to avoid Peter’s attacks, Spencer had moved into the women’s section. He was trying to make his way back out of there when he caught sight of a shelf that was full of leggings. There were tons of patterns there, some holiday ones and some normal, and he reached out to take a look at one of the holiday pair. They were striped in black, grey, white, and red, with each color holding a different pattern on them. Snowflakes, reindeer, a random geometric pattern. Spencer liked how they looked; more than that, he _adored_ how they felt. They were so _soft_.

He heard the rustling of bags and felt Peter’s emotions coming towards him. His friend came right up and didn’t hesitate to twist around Spencer to see what he was holding. “What’re you… oh, those look cool.”

“They’re really soft,” Spencer murmured. He’d had a pair or two of leggings back home that he liked to wear when no one else was around. They were insanely comfortable and they had just enough give to them to help him feel more relaxed on the days where it felt like his skin was trying to find a way to crawl off his body.

“You gonna get some?”

There was no hint of judgment in Peter’s tone. Nothing to suggest that he was in any way bothered by the fact that Spencer might want something that didn’t come from the men’s section. The fact that he didn’t even seem to realize that this might be a _thing_ was enough to have Spencer turning towards him and leaning in for a hug; one that Peter easily returned. It was just… not even Derek had been completely okay the first time he’d seen Spencer in his lounge clothes. He hadn’t judged, of course not! Nor had he been ‘upset’. He’d just taken a moment to look and to hear Spencer’s explanation, and then he shrugged it off as a ‘Spencer thing’ and left it at that. Peter… Peter didn’t see it that way. He just saw it as a _person_ thing. Like, a human being just wanting to wear something. That kind of attitude meant more to Spencer than anything else.

When they pulled apart, the young genius found Peter giving him a curious yet happy look. “What was that for?”

“For being you.”

“Umm… oka-ay?”

Spencer smiled brightly at his friend. Then he turned back to the display and searched around for his size before pulling out three pairs of leggings.

They gathered a few more random items before they finally decided to make their way down to the food court. A quick stop at Panda Express and then the two found themselves a corner to sit down in. The area they found had two tables pushed together and was meant for four people to sit at, which gave them a perfect place to stuff their bags while they sat and ate.

Spencer reached up and pulled out his ponytail, giving his hair a shake. It’d been pulling a bit and was start to give him a headache. Just as he reached to gather it up, a flash went off in front of him. He looked up to find Peter unrepentantly holding his phone up. “Can I help you?” Spencer drawled out. He combed his fingers through his hair and gathered it once more into a bun.

Peter beamed at him. “Nope! Wait… yeah! I’ve already put the other picture up on Instagram, but come here, let’s get a group shot. I need something new to put up.”

Keeping things quiet about Peter and Spencer’s friendship hadn’t been possible. The world had already known that Peter existed in Tony’s life. They’d played it off with the Stark Internship and it’d worked mostly okay for them; most people seemed to see the two in public together and assume it was Tony taking a bright young protégé or something of the sort. Of course, there were others, but the PR team handled those kinds of reports, and Pepper made sure it didn’t go too far. But Peter and Spencer? They were physically the same age. It just sort of seemed to make sense to the world that they’d become friends. Plus, Peter had become a huge part of Tony’s attempt to get Spencer to use the social media he’d set up for the teen.

Hence why Spencer found himself doing things like _this_. He leaned in across the table and pulled off his sunglasses so his face was clear. Peter slung an arm around his shoulders and the two of them grinned up at the phone that Peter held aloft. Peter’s grin was wide and bright while Spencer’s held a more subtle amusement.

“Awesome,” Peter said when he looked at it. “That turned out great! Here, I’ll send it to you, and you can be the one to post it.”

“How on earth do teenagers find time to constantly deal with all the various social media platforms and still maintain an actual life?” Even as he grumbled, Spencer pulled out his phone. He accepted the message and then took a few minutes – probably longer than it would’ve taken Peter, but whatever – to post the picture up to his Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. He tagged it as ‘#ChristmasShopping, because Peter insisted he always had to tag _everything_ , and Spencer was not in the mood for another hour long lecture about what tags were and why he needed to use them.

Then, because he was feeling a bit ornery, he took a picture of his tray of food – a plate of Chow Mein and broccoli beef, two things he knew Tony loved – and then he sent that along to Tony.

The almost instant reply he got made him snicker.

_I hate you – Dad_

_Bring me some? - Dad_

Spencer slid his thumb over the screen and quickly typed out a reply.

_If you’re lucky - SS_

With a shake of his head, Spencer locked his phone and set it down on the table. He looked up to find Peter smiling at him. “You’re getting better at it,” Peter told him.

Better at it, yeah. Spencer couldn’t help chuckling while he picked up his fork. “Improving on my previous skills isn’t exactly a high bar to set. I tended to avoid electronics entirely. My friends would be hysterical at even the idea of me being this technological.” A wistful edge hung on Spencer’s voice at the mention of his friends. So far he’d been doing a pretty good job keeping himself occupied and _not_ thinking about them. But, it wasn’t easy.

Sympathy filled Peter’s eyes. He rested his elbows on the table, poking at his own food. “Its gotta be hard being without them right now.”

“I miss them,” Spencer said simply. And to him, it was simple. The pain of not being able to be around them all was a constant companion for him this holiday season. It was something to be expected, and something he couldn’t change. Still, that didn’t always mean something bad. There were good things that came from it, too. Good memories. Spencer smiled a little and he found himself sharing some of those memories with Peter while they ate. “You know, Garcia got us started on this unique tradition of giving gifts.” Pausing, Spencer chuckled a little and shook his head. “I didn’t even realize I was still shopping that way.”

“What’d you guys do?”

“At Thanksgiving, after we got done eating, we’d gather together and hand out boxes and names. Everyone would draw a name and then take one of the boxes home, and then between then and Christmas you’d fill the box up with… random things. Big, little, nice, ridiculous, it didn’t really matter. So long as it made you think of the person whose name you got, it went in the box. Some years we’d set limits on things, like if we knew someone was having a financially difficult time. One year, we couldn’t go over fifty dollars for the entire box, and it was a smaller box. Other years, it was no more than twenty dollars per item.” Spencer’s eyes crinkled from the width of his smile. He had so many good memories of the holidays with his friends. They’d always had such a good time.

When he looked up at Peter’s face he found the other teen was smiling back at him. Peter’s smile was warm and easy; he was genuinely happy for Spencer, happy about the memories he shared. “That sounds really cool, Spencer.”

“Yeah. Yeah, it was.”

Those memories were good ones – ones that he was always going to hold dear. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t make new memories and new traditions this year.

As he’d done many times so far this month, Spencer drew in a breath and reminded himself that wishing and whining wasn’t going to change anything. It wasn’t going to get him back to his family and friends. No matter what, he was still going to be _here_ , and that was what he needed to focus on. With that stern reminder, Spencer pulled himself out of his head and focused back on his friend. He wasn’t going to ruin his afternoon by getting homesick.

* * *

They ended up having to call Happy to come and get them. The two teens had too many bags to want to try and take public transit back to Peter’s place, and a few people had already recognized Spencer. It wasn’t going to take long before more connected that it was Spencer Stark. After that, getting much of anything done wasn’t going to be easy. So Spencer messaged Tony who then sent Happy over to meet them.

Happy didn’t seem bothered by the fact that he had to come get them. Spencer knew it was likely because Tony had asked him to be on standby for them. Seriously, the man worried too much.

They took Peter home first, and Happy waited outside for Spencer so that the young genius could run upstairs and help Peter take some things inside – not just the stuff that Peter had bought, but a bag or two that Spencer had sneakily bought for him just because he could – and to grab his coat. After setting up a time to meet up for patrols for the night, Spencer hesitated for a second before darting in and giving Peter a quick hug. “Thanks for today, I had fun.” Without giving Peter time to reply, he pulled back, gave him one last grin, and then he was hurrying out the door.

Spencer only asked Happy to make two stops on their way back to the Compound. The first one was at a Chinese restaurant that he knew Tony enjoyed. With Happy’s help, they got enough to feed everyone and then loaded all that into the passenger’s seat of the car.

The last stop was Starbucks.

It was no real surprise when Happy followed him inside.

The two made their way through the semi-crowded store over to where the line was. Luckily, there were only a couple people ahead of them. The store could’ve been a lot more crowded. Usually, it tended to be. Spencer was grateful that it wasn’t, though. While his shields were still fine and he’d done okay all day long, he really wasn’t in the mood to push his luck and deal with any kind of overload. He still had patrols to do tonight as well as some work on JARVIS.

The thought of the busy night ahead of him was enough to make Spencer want to yawn. Yeah, coffee was definitely in order.

When they finally reached the register, Spencer looked over to Happy. “Would you like anything, Happy?”

“No, kid, I’m fine,” Happy reassured him. He tilted his head and gave Spencer a look that was both dry and amused, something he had to have picked up over his years of working with Tony. “Most normal people don’t exactly go drinking coffee as the sun’s starting to go down.”

Spencer rolled his eyes. “The sun hasn’t set yet, and I need the caffeine.” That said, he faced the barista once more with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry about that. Can I get a venti gingerbread latte, extra hot? I’ve got a bit of a drive and that’s for someone at home.”

“Oh, yeah, cause that’s all _he_ needs,” Happy grumbled.

Smothering a smile, Spencer ignored his companion and finished his order. “Also, can I get a venti holiday spice with soy and no whip?” He was pretty sure dairy was starting to give him a problem. He wasn’t quite sure yet and was planning on bringing it up with Bruce, but for now, he’d skirt around it in little ways. The last thing he wanted was to feel sick on the ride home.

When the barista gave him his total, Spencer held out his phone as Peter had taught him to do, the Starbucks app up and ready for him to pay. A moment later the lady was nodding, one of the cups already in hand. “Can I get a name for these?”

“Happy,” Happy interjected.

When the barista looked to Spencer, he nodded. That worked well enough. Still, Spencer waited until they were down near the pickup end, leaning against the little bar there, to look to Happy and point out “I would’ve simply given them my first name, you know.”

“Your first name isn’t exactly common, you know.” Happy shot right back. “At least not for teenage kids. It’s an older name, an one that people recognize. I’d rather not deal with that right now.”

That, of course, had to be the moment that someone actually _did_ recognize him. Not just recognize him, either, but announce it to the store. “Oh my God!” cried out a teenaged voice, definitely female. Spencer looked over at the group of teenagers who were just coming in and found that almost all eyes were on him. “You’re Spencer Stark!”

“If I believed in things like bad luck, I would blame this on you,” Spencer murmured lowly to the man beside him. Then he drew on his best press smile, the one he’d built at the BAU and perfected during his time here, and he opted for a slightly shy edge to it today. One hand came up and he tucked a bit of hair behind his ear in a gesture that he knew made him look even more shy. “Uh, hey. Hi.”

One of the girls, a blond who looked no more than fourteen, practically rushed towards him. “Oh my God, can I get your autograph, please? Or a picture? No one’s gonna believe I actually got to meet you!”

“We’re actually not doing photographs tonight,” Happy said, stepping between the girl and Spencer to keep her from rushing him. Happy, like a few select others in Tony’s employ, had been briefed in Spencer’s powers so that they knew and could understand some of his quirks, such as his dislike of being touched by random people. The few times that Spencer had been out with Happy he’d been more than grateful for the other man’s ability to keep people from touching him.

However, as Spencer both saw and felt the girl deflate at getting cut off, Spencer found he couldn’t quite do it. He couldn’t just stay back. Drawing in a breath to steady himself, and making sure that his shields were firmly in place, Spencer brushed his fingers over Happy’s arm and stepped out from behind him. “It’s all right, Happy. I think we’ve got time for one picture.”

The way the girl lit up had Spencer wanting to flush. To think that someone was this excited about seeing _him_. Him! It was ridiculous!

One photo and four autographs later, their coffees were done and Happy was bustling Spencer out of the store. There were a few cameras that were going off and a general buzz of noise behind them that told Spencer it wasn’t going to be long before people were talking about seeing him in a Starbucks. The idea that this was important to them, that people out there cared that he went to Starbucks or what he drank there, it was ludicrous and just a tiny bit entertaining.

Happy didn’t say anything to Spencer once they were back in the car. As the young genius stretched himself out in the backseat, he was left alone to his thoughts, free to just stare out the window and sip off his drink. Today had been a good day. The time out with Peter had been exactly what he needed. Just, some time away from the Compound, away from everyone, where he was free to relax and just hang out a bit and not worry about anything or try to accomplish anything. They’d done their shopping and talked in a way they hadn’t really managed lately. It reminded Spencer why he enjoyed Peter’s company so much and he vowed to start spending more time with him outside of their patrols.

Still, as good as today had been, there was no denying how good it felt when Happy pulled up to the Compound. Spencer opened up his shields just enough to feel ahead of him and it made him smile to sense the familiar presence of his family. Vision wasn’t far away, and Jim was with him, but Bruce and Tony were making their way towards the front doors, likely in response to Spencer’s arrival.

Sure enough, they came out right after he got out of the car. Tony was grinning widely at him. His eyes zeroed in on the two cups that Spencer held. As soon as the teen lifted one, tilting it Tony’s direction, the engineer almost leapt the distance between them to pounce on it. “Oh, look at you, bringing presents.” Tony said happily. Then Happy opened up the passenger’s door to reveal the Chinese food inside and Tony laughed. “You really brought presents!” Turning his head, he slanted a mock-suspicious look at Spencer. “What happened? Did you lose something? Buy a car? Vandalize the mall? Get kicked out for having light saber wars in the water fountain?”

“That last one was oddly specific.” Spencer couldn’t help but point out.

Tony just winked at him, the dork, and Spencer resolved to get that story later. He’d just ask Jim. Chances were, a story like that would likely involve Jim anyways.

There was a fond smile on Bruce’s lips as he moved to join them. The way he brushed against Tony’s arm as he did wasn’t something that Spencer missed. Nor was the little pulse of emotions that he felt from both men. Oh, _well now_ , that was interesting! Spencer mentally logged it away for later, though, as Bruce asked him “Do you need help carrying anything inside, Spencer?”

“Would you mind helping Happy with the food?” Spencer asked. He nudged Tony, chuckling a little when it made him stumble, and then headed for the trunk. “Dad can help me get stuff to my room.” There were only a few things for Tony in the bags and Spencer had hidden them carefully. But he knew there was an item or two for Bruce that weren’t exactly hidden away.

Amidst a lot of playful whining and bickering, the two Starks managed to get Spencer’s stuff inside and up to his room. Tony dumped his load on the end of Spencer’s bed and then simply dropped down onto the bed as well, leaning back against the headboard and kicking his feet up. He took another sip off his coffee as he watched Spencer set down the bags he held. “I’m glad to see you got over your weird need not to spend any money.”

“Yes, well, until I start to actually work somehow, I don’t exactly have much of a choice now do I?” Spencer used the last bag to knock against Tony’s feet before he set it down. “Get your shoes off my bed.”

Neither one of them said anything for a few minutes as Spencer transferred the bags to his closet and hid his gifts for everyone. It wasn’t until Spencer came back out of the closet that Tony even moved beyond sipping his drink. He’d shifted, kicking his shoes off, and was stretched out comfortably on Spencer’s bed. When the young teen came out, Tony didn’t say anything at first, simply lifted one arm and cocked an eyebrow at him. The offer was easy to read.

There was only a brief hesitation before Spencer accepted. He thought to himself as he climbed in the bed and settled against Tony’s side that he’d come a long way from the person he’d been only months ago. It didn’t feel strange to let himself get tucked up against Tony’s side. It felt… comfortable.

Spencer relaxed down into the embrace and let himself just rest against Tony. His shields, which had been high for most of the day, relaxed a little in the man’s familiar presence. It had Spencer relaxing as well. He let go of a tension he hadn’t even realized was there as he stopped trying to block everything out. Here, he didn’t have to do that. Here, he was free to just let his empathy relax, let it feel the emotions of someone who was never uncomfortable at being so open for Spencer to read.

Sighing, Spencer let his eyes drift closed a little. He laid his head against Tony’s shoulder and just sighed away the last of his tension.

He felt Tony hum in response and tug him in a little closer. “Good day?”

“Yeah.” Spencer smiled. He drew his knees up, body tilting in to rest more fully against Tony’s side, likely looking like the kid they were claiming him to be. Was this what it felt like for kids with their parents? Did normal children sit like this with their father? Spencer wasn’t sure, but he was going to enjoy it. “I haven’t had a chance to just hang out with Peter lately. It was nice.”

“I’m glad. You’ve been looking pretty stressed lately, firefly.”

The nickname as well as the hand that started to card through his hair had Spencer’s eyes closing the rest of the way. Tony only ever used that nickname for Spencer when he was worried or being sweet. All the other nicknames were jokes or teasing; this one meant something a little more than that. It let him know that Tony had been worrying about him lately, almost as much as the man’s emotions did. “Just had a lot on my mind.”

He felt Tony hum again. “Can’t imagine the holidays are easy for you.”

“I’m handling it.”

“Mm. You haven’t said much. You know you can come talk to us, right? We’re not going to get upset if you want to talk about your family. I never mind hearing about them, and I don’t want you to think that we’re… that we’re trying to replace them or anything like that.”

Spencer’s smile softened. He curled his fingers into the hem of Tony’s shirt and let himself play a little with the soft material. “I know. Holidays weren’t…” It took a second for Spencer to find the words that he wanted here. For him to figure out how to explain things so that they’d make sense. “I did things every year with the team. It wasn’t always _on_ Christmas, because sometimes cases would crop up and we’d be working over Christmas. Or sometimes I’d be at the office while the others went home to their families. I didn’t have a partner or kids, so I never minded taking on paperwork for them so they could go. But they weren’t… holidays weren’t extremely important to me. They were never that big a deal growing up.” For all that he’d enjoyed the time with his teammates, it hadn’t been the holiday itself that had been important to him. He’d just enjoyed being together with them. They’d never quite been able to understand that but they hadn’t questioned it.

“Holidays were a big thing in my house, growing up.” Tony shifted a little and adjusted his arm around Spencer to better reach his hair. He pulled the ponytail free and tossed it down onto the bed, making it easier for him to play with Spencer’s hair. His other hand came up so he could sip off his coffee. “Starks always do everything big, and we do it with style. My Dad threw a party each year, and our house was always decorated to the nines. But that’s all it was – decoration. Most of my favorite Christmas memories come from when I broke free from the family and got to go down to hang out with Jarvis, our butler. His wife Ana would make the best cookies, and we’d drink cocoa and watch movies together.”

It wasn’t often that Tony shared something about his past like that. Spencer listened quietly, accepting the gift for what it was.

“My Mom and I weren’t that great at making cookies at first,” Spencer shared, his voice just as low and easy as Tony’s was. “One year, we managed to make plain sugar cookies without any mishaps, so we decided we could try to make a different kind. I don’t even… I don’t even remember what they were anymore.” The cookie itself wasn’t the important part of the memory. It wasn’t the part that had stuck out in Spencer’s mind all these years. He smiled as he felt the memory play back over in his mind. “God, we made such a mess. We managed to cover half of ourselves in flour, and then we finally got the batter together and Mom turned the mixer on, only she turned it on too high and we hadn’t added any flour yet and it just, the batter went _flying_. It was all over her face. When I laughed at her, she chased me around the kitchen until she caught me and smeared it all over my face.”

He felt it as Tony laughed, the sound washing through Spencer like warm apple cider. Spencer couldn’t help but smile in return. The young genius didn’t mean to, but he found himself saying “Did you know that most humor based emotions, positive ones at least, come with some flavor of apple to them?”

His words had Tony pausing. Then his emotions shifted and intrigue came through loud and clear. That natural curiosity that Tony displayed to any new kind of information. It was something they had in common. “Wait a second… emotions have _flavors_?”

“Most of the time. They’re pretty sensory based, actually. I mean, I know what the emotions are by feel. I can match them up to what I’ve felt before in the past in myself and it makes it pretty easy to label most of them. But, they generally all come with little sensory cues. When Peter laughs, it’s like… like that first, crisp bite of an apple, sharp and sweet and a bit tangy. Yours just now was warm, like, like hot apple cider.” Spencer flushed a little and trailed off. It sounded stupid saying it out loud like that.

Tony, however, didn’t seem to think it was stupid at all. “Is it always taste?”

That took a moment for Spencer to think about. “Yes and no. There always seems to be a hint of a taste to things, though some are stronger than others. Sometimes I barely notice the flavor of things, or other senses are stronger. Other times, it’s overpowering. The sensations aren’t… they aren’t always easy to explain, and they change a little depending on where it’s directed.

“What do you mean?”

“Like, okay, say that you’re happy about something. You’re just watching a movie with everyone, or we’re at a family dinner, or something simple and easy. When you’re like that, your happiness is more mellow, and it’s like that feeling you get when you’re curled up under a blanket with some warm soup on a cold day. I can taste and feel it, and it’s, it’s nice.” Spencer was blushing even more now, more than a little embarrassed, but he could feel how attentively Tony was listening to him, so he made himself keep going. “When it’s happiness that more… directed. Like if I personally did something to make you happy, it’s…it’s like sunlight on my face, or a warm hug, or the best cup of coffee. I don’t know… I’m not explaining it well.”

“No, no, you’re doing a great job, kiddo. This is _fascinating_.” Tony sounded like it really was, too. “Does every person have a different feel, then?”

Spencer nodded his head. “Everyone’s emotions feel different. You’ve all got your own unique emotional signature, too, that’s just the baseline of who you are. That’s how I can recognize people before they come in a room. Bruce, he’s got something sort of, natural about him. Earthy. Like the ground after it rains. Yours is kind of…honey and apples, and a little extra crackle of my electricity.” Three things that were quickly spelling out _home_ in Spencer’s mind. They were things he knew he could trust, no matter what. Things that were _safe_.

As if to back up his words, the honey-apple feel of Tony got a little bit stronger, the warm fire of his emotions making Spencer relax even more.

He could tell that Tony had a ton more questions. This was something that Spencer was likely going to get quizzed on at a later date, quite extensively. But as he relaxed – melted, really – down into Tony, he swore he felt it as the older man tabled those thoughts for later. For now, the two just sat there together, and as the quiet filled the room, Spencer sighed again and let his eyes drift the rest of the way closed, his shields easy and relaxed as they registered him as completely safe.

He didn’t realize he’d started to drift. Only absently did he hear Tony murmur “FRI-baby, let the others know to eat without us. We’ll join ‘em in a little while.”

“Yes, Boss.” FRIDAY answered.

Then, neither one of them said a word. They simply stayed there together and Spencer soaked up the comfort of the person he was beginning to count on the most. His last thought before he started to drift more towards sleep was that this whole ‘having a dad’ thing was turning out a lot better than he’d thought it would.


	11. Chapter 11

It was done. Weeks of work, of barely sleeping, barely eating, occasionally being physically dragged out of his labs by his uncles, and he was finally _done_ , and with just days to spare until Christmas. Every little piece of JARVIS that he could find, every scrap gathered from the servers and from Vision, had been painstakingly inspected by not just Spencer, but by FRIDAY and Vision as well, the three of them working together to make absolutely sure that all the pieces they had were pure JARVIS. No lingering traces of Vision there, no pieces of Ultron, no weird bits tinged from their time around the mind stone, no damaged code from the attack Ultron had given. Just pure JARVIS.

They’d treated it kind of like a puzzle, working on it in sections. Now that all those sections were complete it was time to put them together.

They waited until two days before Christmas to do it. Less chance of Tony finding out there was something strange in the Compound. On Christmas Eve, they had huge plans, which would help keep Tony busy and away from his labs or anything like that, which would minimize the risk of him finding out that there were now rows upon rows of new servers down in the secure room where they housed FRIDAY at.

Clint, Vision, and even Peter – who Spencer had pulled in a few days back when the teen had come by the house to visit him – had come to help install them while Jim and Pepper kept Tony busy for the day.

This was the part of the plan that really required FRIDAY’s help. Once they had JARVIS installed and ready to go, they had to head for Tony’s workshop. It was the best equipped place to finish off what Spencer needed to do, and the only way they were going to get in there and do it was with FRIDAY’s permission and help. Tony had protocols in place to keep his lab as safe as possible and to keep people from getting in and messing with anything. FRIDAY was the only one who would be able to find a way around that enough to get them the clearance they needed.

In the end, they were mostly saved by the fact that Spencer wasn’t actually trying to access anything in Tony’s workshop and that JARVIS’s servers weren’t yet under any security protocol. They wouldn’t be until Tony took care of that part of things.

Spencer stood in the center of Tony’s workshop, in the place where all his holograms were easiest to display, and he took a deep breath. Peter, Clint, and Vision were all off on the sidelines watching carefully and eagerly, their excitement palpable. Dum-E, U, and Butterfingers were here as well, clearly curious yet trusting.

Licking his lips, Spencer closed his eyes and reached out for the systems around him. **_Are you ready for this, FRIDAY?_**

**_Absolutely, Little Doc._ **

**_All right. Let’s bring your big brother home, then._ **

With the use of the holograms and Spencer’s powers, the images of the various pieces of JARVIS they’d fixed came to life in the workshop around him. Pieces of the matrix that made up who JARVIS was. Individually, they were electric lines of beautiful code. Orange bits of energy that were complex and amazing and just, gorgeous. Separate, they were beautiful – together, they would be _magnificent_.

Spencer didn’t pay any real attention anymore to those on the sidelines. With FRIDAY connected to him to help guide him along, Spencer reached out to the pieces and slowly, carefully, started to piece them back together. It was an extremely delicate process. More delicate than anything that Spencer had ever dealt with before.

All the groundwork had been laid before this. The only thing they had to do now was piece it together just… like… so….

The last piece fused into place and Spencer watched in absolute awe as JARVIS’s matrix came together into one of the single most gorgeous piece of technology that Spencer had ever seen. No, no, it was more than that – _he_ was more than that. This wasn’t just a piece of technology. This was a being. Someone that mattered just as much as any of them.

There was a brief pause after Spencer finally stepped back. In that silence, everyone waited, holding their breath. Spencer could feel it as FRIDAY reached out to JARVIS and the two of them connected, likely for FRIDAY to check him over and share the data of everything that had happened since the last time JARVIS had been online. No one moved as they waited. Spencer barely even _breathed_. This had to work. It had to! _Please, please, let it work, let this work, please!_

The next second Spencer felt the pulse of power he’d become so familiar with. Spencer was already grinning as JARVIS spoke for the first time. “Hello, young Master Stark.”

Spencer was grinning so wide it made his cheeks hurt. “Hello, JARVIS. It’s nice to finally meet you properly.”

“The pleasure is all mine, I assure you.” Then JARVIS’s voice shifted and his focus turned to the others in the room. Spencer felt it as the cameras closest to them picked up a little more energy, telling him exactly where JARVIS was focusing. “Agent Barton, it’s good to see you as well.”

“Welcome back, man,” Clint said happily.

The happiness in the room was enough to have Spencer wanting to laugh. They’d done it! They’d really done it! There’d been moments where he’d been afraid they were going to make it, or that there wasn’t enough data to work with, but _they’d done it_.

Spencer let out a laugh when he found himself suddenly swept up in a hug. He flung his own arms around Clint’s neck and let the archer spin him round in a circle, the two of them laughing as they did. “You did it!” Clint cheered for him, with Vision smiling in the background and Peter letting out a loud “Woo hoo!” that only made Spencer laugh even more.

* * *

They spent almost an hour down there talking with JARVIS and trying to make sure that he was as caught up on everything as possible. FRIDAY, Spencer, and Clint all worked together to walk JARVIS through things, making sure that he knew of the things that had happened while he was gone, and that he remembered things that had happened before.

By the time that FRIDAY alerted them to Tony’s return, they’d established that JARVIS seemed to be perfectly intact. Not only that, but the AI had no issue keeping his presence hidden from Tony until Christmas morning. If anything, he seemed to approve of the idea of being a gift.

The elation that the group felt as they all gathered for dinner that night was hard to hide. Clint was at least able to escape down to his home and out of Tony’s sight. Peter was staying, since May would be joining them tomorrow and staying at the Compound through the holidays, and Vision was there as well. Seeing them both at the table made it hard for Spencer to keep himself from breaking out in random grins or chuckles.

They were halfway through their meal – and had already gotten a ton of suspicious looks from Tony, Jim, _and_ Bruce – when Tony finally cracked. “All right, out with it. What did you hooligans do?”

Vision said nothing, only smiled slightly to himself and focused on the eggplant parmesan that Spencer had made. It was Peter and Spencer who exchanged looks and then quickly looked away from one another. “Nothing,” Peter tried to say, squeaking only slightly. Spencer hurried to take over for him before Peter started to babble and accidentally gave away too much. “It’s nothing. We just got a few things organized for our Christmas gifts, that’s all. I think we’re finally ready for the holiday.” Spearing a bite of his food, Spencer tried for as casual a look as possible, only raising his eyebrow a bit as he turned the topic neatly onto Tony instead. “What about you? Did you finish up any of your shopping, or were you already done?”

Amusement had Tony’s lips twitching. Off to the side, Bruce hid his own grin in his cup. “Smooth,” Tony said dryly. Then he snorted and shook his head. “Fine, whatever, you brat. Keep your secrets.”

Spencer’s face transformed with a bright smile. “Thank you, I will.”

This time there was no stopping the laughter from anyone.

* * *

By the time Spencer went to bed that night, he had to admit he was more than ready for it. Sleep sounded _amazing_. After too many long, sleepless nights, and pushing himself almost daily with his powers, his body needed the rest and he was looking forward to getting plenty of it.

The rest of the world didn’t seem to get that memo. Or, namely, his father didn’t.

Tony and Peter both woke Spencer up at far too early in the morning. How it was that _Tony_ was awake and alert at – Spencer scowled at his clock when he read it was six twenty a.m. – he had no idea. All he knew was that no protests of his were being listened to. Looking back on it later, Spencer had no real idea how on earth he went from comfortably asleep in his bed to being bundled up in a jacket by Tony and escorted out to the car so they could go _grocery shopping_.

The fact that he was still in pajama pants and a baggy sweater under that coat didn’t register at all. Though he’d be grateful later that they got him in actual shoes.

The only consolation he had was that they’d at least stopped at Starbucks on their way there.

Spencer had no idea why on earth it as they needed to go grocery shopping when FRIDAY put in orders for food for them all the time. More than that, why on earth did they have to go out _so damn early_? Was there a reason that they couldn’t go at a decent human hour? Or, you know… without him?

Annoyed, yet still too sleepy to do much about it, Spencer took another sip off his coffee as he followed the two in front of him inside the grocery store. Any other time and Spencer probably would’ve found it cute and terribly domestic to watch as Peter grabbed a cart and they set off down the aisles. At the moment he wasn’t inclined to care all that much.

Peter was chattering away about some sort of recipe he wanted to make – if prompted, Spencer probably could’ve recited the conversation back to them, but that didn’t mean he was actually paying any real attention to them. Whatever Peter said had Tony letting out a laugh; one of those real ones, not the one he let out around most people. There was good humor rolling off the both of them that was better than any warm blanket Spencer could’ve wrapped up in. This kind of mood would’ve been perfect to curl up on the couch with and drift in and out while the two played games or watched movies or talked science. Or to wrap around him as he _went back to sleep_.

“What do you think, Spencer?” Peter asked.

It took a second for Spencer to realize that a question had been directed at him. He looked up from his coffee, brow furrowing as he tried to think about what might’ve been said.

He was met with two grinning faces. “And I thought _I_ was dependent on coffee.” Tony said, amusement curling over his tone. “I’m telling Pepper all about this. She’s never going to be able to insult my coffee drinking again.”

Peter snorted at him, clearly just as amused. “Good luck with that.”

Laughing, Tony reached out and hooked an arm around Spencer’s shoulders, the younger boy too tired to even give his usual flinch. He just let himself be tugged in against Tony’s side. It was surprisingly comfortable there. Even with his recent growth spurt he was still small against Tony’s side and it was a pleasant feeling to be held there. He didn’t even mind when Tony chuckled or the absent-minded kiss that was pressed against his head, which he doubted Tony even realized he did. “Just drink your coffee and wake up, kiddo. I gotcha.”

That sounded like a good plan to Spencer. He leaned in to Tony’s side and trusted the man to lead him around safely. That let Spencer drift in a half-awake sort of state. He sipped at his coffee and mostly ignored the world around him. Not even the strange looks they were getting were enough to get to him. He stirred briefly when they reached the cereal aisle, only to slump back against Tony when Peter reached out for the cereal Spencer wanted and put it in the cart. “Why exactly am I with you two again?” Spencer asked, trying not to yawn. “And why are we up so early?”

Tony laughed. “Because if Peter’s making me suffer through this, you have to suffer, too, and we’re out early because no paparazzi expect me to be out this early.”

“Mm.” Spencer took another sip off his coffee and hummed happily at the warmth it spread through him. “Reasonable enough.”

“I thought so.”

“You two are _hilarious_.” Peter told them both. He had the cart now and was pushing it forward, with Tony and Spencer following alongside him in the mostly empty store. “I should’ve just left you two at home.”

The threat was an empty one. Even Spencer, in his sleep addled state, knew that. He hummed and took another sip of his coffee while Tony laughed again. “Good luck with that, buddy boy. How would you get you _and_ your groceries back home if I wasn’t here to drive you, hm?”

“You act like it’d be the first time.”

The sound that Tony would later deny making was very much a squawk. It had Spencer chuckling again, which earned him a poke in the stomach that made him jump and almost drop his coffee. He tilted his head up to scowl at Tony, who was smirking unrepentantly.

“You’re annoying.” Spencer told him.

Tony flashed him a grin. “I think you mispronounced ‘awesome’.”

Grumbling, Spencer tucked himself back in against Tony and took another drink from his coffee, which was almost gone by this point. He let his eyes drift just enough that he didn’t even see Peter pull his cell phone out, though he heard the click of the camera. When he opened his eyes again he found Peter grinning behind his cell phone. “Dude, that one’s going up on Instagram!”

“Do it and I’m posting one of yours,” Spencer warned him.

The horrified look he got was _perfect_. Spencer’s lips curved into a smug grin that only grew when Peter gave a horrified “You _wouldn’t_!”

“Oooh, what picture is this and why don’t I know about it?” Tony looked back and forth between the two with his own smirk. “I demand rights to all blackmail pictures!”

“You’re all terrible people! Spencer, don’t you dare pull your phone out!”

Spencer laughed as Tony started to try and wheedle the pictures out of him, while all the while Peter was doing his best to demand, beg, and threaten Spencer into keeping them hidden. This might not have been how Spencer wanted to spend his morning, but as the trio made their way through the store, he couldn’t say he regretted it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was going to be longer, but then it got TOO long, and I was taking too long, so here's this piece which isn't much. The next chapter is going to be Christmas day xD I can't wait!


	12. Christmas - 2016

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Christmas is finally here, and presents are opened.

Spencer woke up Christmas morning to the feel of a body landing in his bed hard enough to actually make him bounce. He came awake with a jerk, arms and legs flailing out. Laughter echoed through his bedroom. When Spencer opened his eyes, he found Peter lying next to him in bed, grinning like a loon. The glare Spencer shot him didn’t even affect him at all. Instead, he laughed again and reached one hand out to grab the blankets and shake them a little. “Wakey-wakey, Spencer! It’s _Christmas_!”

A hint of humor found its way through Spencer now that he knew he wasn’t under some strange sort of attack. He let his body melt back into the bed. “You are completely and utterly ridiculous.”

“You love me anyway,” Peter said shamelessly.

He didn’t let Spencer get settled any further. With the hand still holding the blanket, he shook even more and started to tug it away. Despite Spencer’s attempts to grab it and keep it in place, Peter was stronger, and he had no qualms about using that strength to pull until it was either let go of the blanket or have it rip. “Come on, come on!” Tossing the blanket aside, Peter rolled until he was sitting up, beaming down at Spencer. “Everyone else is waking up. Bruce is throwing together breakfast, and Tony said we can’t open presents without everyone there. So _come on_!”

The last time Spencer had seen someone this excited about Christmas, it’d been his godson, Henry, and the wakeup had sadly gone much like this. Only, JJ had been at the bedroom door, laughing at them both and scolding Henry for jumping on Spencer like that because Spencer had been healing at the time. A case gone bad had left Spencer with two broken ribs and a twisted ankle. JJ had used his injuries as a way to help persuade him to spend Christmas with them, an offer she’d extended before, and he’d turned down because he didn’t want to infringe on their holiday.

That Christmas was one of Spencer’s favorites. The only one that ranked better was the one where they’d all stayed at Dave’s big house together – not just the BAU members, but their families as well. Everyone packed into one big house to celebrate together.

This one was already proving to be just as good, if not better.

Peter’s excitement was permeating the room. It made it hard for Spencer to hold on to any real grumbles as Peter hustled him up out of bed. When Spencer came back out of the bathroom, teeth brushed and feeling just slightly more alert, he found Peter waiting for him with one of Spencer’s favorite hoodies – the one he’d stolen from Tony – and a cup of coffee.

He laughed when Spencer practically fell on the coffee mug in his eagerness to get it. “Yeah, I figured that would get you going. Come on! There’s more out here for everyone. You can have plenty more coffee, and Bruce is making that French toast bake thing that he makes and the whole living room smells _so good_. I wanna eat so we can open presents!”

There was no way Spencer could keep up any sort of glare at that. He allowed Peter to hold his mug so he could slip his sweater on and then he took the cup back and offered his best friend a soft smile. “Let’s go, then. I wouldn’t want to keep you from the pursuit of presents.”

Spencer found himself practically dragged out to the living room. Everything was apparently set up on their floor, not Tony’s. As soon as they started moving, Spencer felt the presence of everyone waiting ahead. Peter was right. Everyone was already out there. He found the room full as soon as they stepped into it.

Over on the couch were Clint and Laura with their kids spread around, all of them laughing and talking with Jim and Pepper. Bruce was in the kitchen with Vision, the two of them putting things in the oven while May was washing off their used dishes. Tony was at the island bar, looking just as half-awake as Spencer was. He was in pajamas – they all were, even Pepper – and his hair had that ‘just rolled out of bed’ look to it. Then again, Spencer’s probably did, too.

As soon as Tony caught sight of them, he gave them a sleepy, warm smile that had Spencer instantly smiling back at him. “There they are! I take it you got treated to the Parker wake up special?” Tony teased.

Humming softly, Spencer slipped up to Tony’s side, taking the seat next to him and immediately leaning over to him. Tony just laughed and lifted his arm, tucking Spencer in close and comfortable. “I did,” Spencer murmured to him, bringing his mug in close so he could sip his coffee. “I’m guessing you did as well?”

“Ah, no.” Just a hint of pleasure curled through Tony, warm and low and satisfying, tinged by what Spencer thought might be embarrassment. Then that embarrassment faded away, and mirth took its place. The arm around Spencer gave a small squeeze. “Someone else made sure I was up this godawful early.”

Someone else? Spencer tilted his head up to observe his father. He found Tony wasn’t looking down at him; no, he was smiling across the room. At _Bruce_.

Spencer’s eyebrows shot up towards his hairline. Everything was adding up to something he was honestly surprised at. Sure, he’d seen the signs, and he’d known the direction things were heading, but he hadn’t expected _this_! He’d thought that Tony and Bruce were still dancing around one another, flirting and going out on the dates that they claimed _weren’t_ dates, were just them ‘hanging out.’ There was no way they’d be able to deny this. Spencer was pretty sure Tony’s comment meant more than just Bruce coming up to his rooms to wake him up. If Spencer had to guess, the man hadn’t had to come up – he’d probably already been there.

All of that ran through Spencer’s mind in just moments. In the next second, he felt his lips curl up. The look he shot Tony this time was amused and slightly impish. “Well,” he drawled the word out, bringing Tony’s gaze from Bruce down to him. “Merry Christmas, Dad.”

Tony’s laughter was warm and low, with a husky edge of sleep to it. He didn’t deny the extra meaning that Spencer had put behind his words. Instead, he grinned and ducked down to press a kiss on Spencer’s hair. “Merry Christmas, Firefly.”

The two stayed there together until breakfast was finally in the oven and the timer was set for an hour. That gave everyone more than enough time to take care of Christmas presents. As soon as the kids – and Peter – realized that, the room suddenly got a lot louder and a lot more excited. The couches and loveseats were turned and then dragged over to where the Christmas tree had been set up near the windows. At a command from FRIDAY, the windows were changed so that they were all able to look out without anyone looking in at them. Then, everyone settled in.

Peter, Lila, and Cooper all took the floor near the tree, while the rest of the Bartons took the couch closest. Clint, in his purple pajama pants and horribly clashing red Christmas shirt, held Nate in his lap and tucked Laura, who was in her own - matching set, thank you – set of Christmas pajamas. Vision sat with May on the loveseat, and Spencer was amused to note that they were in pajamas, too. Everyone was. Even Jim and Pepper, who were taking the other couch.

That left the last loveseat for Tony and Bruce, who shared one small smile before they sat down next to one another. The way they slipped their hands down between them and twined their fingers together didn’t escape Spencer’s notice.

For a second Spencer looked around and mentally debated what he wanted to do. Then, with a small shrug, he moved over to Tony and Bruce and folded himself down to the ground right at their feet. Tony responded immediately by shifting his legs and crossing them at the ankle instead of the knee, allowing Spencer to lean in and slouch down so that he could rest his head on Tony’s thigh. Spencer made a point not to shy away from brushing up against Bruce’s legs, either, and he smiled up at the man. “Morning, Bruce.”

Bruce’s expression softened, and he smiled as well. “Good morning, Spencer.”

Anything else that might’ve been said was cut off by Lila’s excited cheer. “Come on, come on!” She clapped her hands together and bounced a little in her seat. “Let’s get started!”

“Youngest goes first,” Peter told her, reaching out to sift through the massive amount of presents that had made their way under the tree. Spencer was surprised to see just how much was there, especially since he knew there hadn’t been that much there even last light. Everyone must’ve snuck out at some point to add more. “That’s how we always did it in my family when we’d get together. Youngest to oldest. Now, help me sort these out, Li. We gotta find one for Nate first, then you, then Cooper.”

It would seem that Peter was planning on going one at a time, in order of age. That was going to take quite a while to get through everything. No one had a complaint, though. Spencer could feel it. They were all content to sit here and take their time going through presents. They had an hour until breakfast was cooked, and it could hold for a little while after that if necessary.

In no time at all they had a present for Nate to open and it was quickly passed over. Spencer sipped at his coffee and enjoyed watching the little boy tear apart the paper with absolute glee. When he found the puzzles that were inside, he looked at them only for a moment before going back to happily tearing up what was left of the paper. The others all laughed. Laura snagged a bit of the paper that had the tag on it and then looked up to smile. “Thank you, Pepper. Once he’s done with the paper, I’m sure he’ll love it.”

“I’m next!” Lila shouted out happily.

“Actually, Miss Lila,” FRIDAY’s voice rang through the room, startling Lila and having more than a few of the adults looking up. “If we’re going in order of age, I believe Vision would be next.”

“Oh.” That only had Lila pausing for a second. Then she was grinning again and scrambling over to help Peter as he pulled up a rather large box. The two of them together carried it over to Vision and set it down at his feet. He was a whole lot more delicate than Nate had been. His paper was carefully taken off, despite the teasing and laughter it earned him until he was able to pull out a beautifully crafted box, inside which was what appeared to be a handmade chess set. Vision’s eyes lit up with true pleasure, and his smile was just as bright as he looked to Bruce. “Thank you, Bruce. I look forward to playing our next game with these.”

Getting through the rest of the kids was quick. Lila was next, with a new Christmas sweater from Mom, and then Cooper got a set of books that had him really excited from Tony, and then it was Peter’s turn. Watching him almost have a heart attack at the new Starkphone that he pulled out, a gift from both May and Tony, was enough to have Spencer laughing right along with everyone else.

When it was Spencer’s turn, he had to fight not to squirm underneath all the eyes that turned his way. He hated being put on the spot for things; especially opening up a gift that might not even be all that great.

The hand that settled on the back of his head, fingers teasing at his hair, made it a little easier.

Spencer should’ve known it’d be easy as soon as he saw the gift was from Laura. He opened the top of the rather large box and found a large quilt inside. “ _Oh_.” His hands sank into the box, and he made a low, happy sound in the back of his throat as soon as his fingers touched the fabric. It felt _heavenly_. Spencer let his hands just sink in for a moment without even trying to pull the blanket out. He never wanted to let go of it. It was soft, yet the material had just the texture to drag across his fingers in an amazingly pleasant way. Tilting his head up, Spencer beamed over at Laura. “This was why you had me help you sort your sewing scraps.”

“I wanted to make sure I got just the right material,” Laura said, smiling at him.

The care and consideration she’d put into it warmed Spencer inside. Slowly, he pulled the blanket out, unfolding it as he went. There were no patterns to it. Just various blocks, some solid and some patterned, all of them in shades of black, blue, and purple. “Laura, it’s absolutely beautiful. Thank you.”

Her smile grew until it crinkled the corners of her eyes. “You’re welcome, Spencer.”

No one commented on it as he tucked the blanket around himself. It stayed there through the rest of their present opening.

Later on, Spencer could easily say that this was the most fun he’d ever had on Christmas morning. They worked their way around the room multiple times, going in age order so that everyone got a chance to open up their gifts. It made it take a long time, but no one protested it. Not even the kids were bothered with waiting for their turns for things. They played around with the gifts they’d already opened while they watched the adults laugh and talk and debate, rather loudly most of the time, just who was next in line. FRIDAY had to settle it a few times in their first round, announcing who was next without giving away their birthday, much to the laughter of others.

Person by person they went through their presents. Spencer enjoyed watching everyone open their things, seeing and feeling their pleasure at what they got. The happy emotions were enough to leave him feeling almost drunk off it all, while the excitement kept just enough of a buzz under his skin to keep him going.

There were some tears at a few particularly thoughtful presents. Pepper, Spencer quickly learned, was a happy crier, and there were more than a few gifts that she shed tears at.

The gift boxes that Spencer got for everyone brought more than a bit of laughter, as well as some surprise. “There’s so much in here!” Pepper exclaimed when she opened up hers, the first person to open their gift from Spencer.

Spencer smiled at her. “It’s how my, um, my family back home does things. We’d hand out boxes and names at Thanksgiving, and then you’d have until Christmas to fill the box with things that you thought the person might want. Big things, little things. Fun, stupid, thoughtful, it didn’t really matter. Just whatever made you think of them. So, um, that’s just how I’m used to shopping. I hope you guys don’t mind.”

“I like the idea,” Bruce said, sounding just a bit thoughtful. “It sounds a lot more personal. Just a box that you keep there, tossing in little things that make you think of the other person.”

The others seemed to like the idea of it, too, judging by their comments, and Spencer hid his flush down in his new blanket. Still, he watched them all, and he enjoyed their reactions. Tony’s were, by far, the best, though Clint was a close second. When they opened their gifts from Spencer, they made sure to pull out each item and react to that one, making sure everyone saw it. Clint laughed long and hard when he pulled out the tiny little Hawkeye fanart picture that Spencer and Peter had found from a street artist on their patrols one night.

Eventually, the gifts ran low, breakfast was done and keeping warm in the oven, and everyone was surrounded with piles of things, all of them chatting away as they watched the kids open their last few items. Spencer caught Vision’s eye, and the two shared a small smile.

They waited until everyone was done with their gifts. May was the one to clap her hands together and try to gather everyone up, calling out “Well! We should probably get some of this paper picked up so we can get something to eat.”

“Actually,” Spencer caught Vision’s eye again and smiled. “We have one more gift.”

Spencer carefully extracted himself from his pile of things enough that he could push away from Tony and Bruce a little and turn to face them. This was something he really wanted to be able to watch Tony for. Spencer chewed on his lip for a second as Tony shot him a curious look, one eyebrow arched up. Spencer gave Vision one last look, just to make sure the man still wanted to do it like this – he’d insisted, when Spencer asked him, that Spencer be the one to bring this up.

At another nod from Vision, Spencer drew in a breath and focused on Tony once more. “So, you might’ve noticed that I got a bit distracted this past month.”

“That’s one word for it,” Tony agreed easily. He was more than a little curious as he smiled down at Spencer. “I would’ve gone for sleepy. Or weird.”

Spencer rolled his eyes at him, though that didn’t wipe his smile away. “Vision came to me a little while ago and asked for my help in getting together his gift for you, and we’ve been working on it ever since. It took a while, and I wasn’t quite sure at first that we’d be able to do it. But, um, well, we really, really hope it’s something you’ll like.”

As Spencer closed his eyes and sent up a small pulse of electricity – their signal – he felt the anticipation build around him. There were only a few that knew what was going to happen and they were just as excited as he was. Spencer opened his eyes back up in just enough time to clearly see Tony’s face as a warm voice filled the room with a simple, “Merry Christmas, Sir.”

There was a soft gasp from somewhere nearby. Spencer thought it might’ve been Pepper; he wasn’t entirely sure. All of his focus was on Tony. He watched as the man froze with his mouth open as if he’d been just about to say something.  Shock hit hard and fast and had Tony’s eyes briefly going wide and drained all color from his face. “J-JARVIS?”

“I’m here, Sir. And might I say, it’s a pleasure to hear your voice once more.”

Tony looked like someone had punched him. He wasn’t speaking, didn’t even look like he was breathing. Spencer felt his heart stutter a little. Had they made a mistake doing this? Was it too much? Tony hadn’t tried to do it himself, after all. Sure, he didn’t have Spencer’s powers, not the ability to so easily copy the data from Vision, but he was a genius. Far smarter than Spencer was. He could’ve found a way to do this on his own. The fact that he hadn’t meant that he probably hadn’t wanted to, right?

As always, when Spencer grew nervous, he found himself babbling, words tumbling past his lips. “As far as we’ve been able to tell, everything was successful in bringing him back online. There was only a line or two that we had to attempt to fill in with his coding, and both JARVIS and FRIDAY say that we managed it. So, JARVIS should be just as you remember him right before…before everything happened. We’ve taken the time to update him on what’s happened since then, of course. FRIDAY’s shared everything she has with him and walked him through everything from Ultron to present moment.”

“How is this possible?” Tony asked in a voice gone hoarse.

Spencer licked his lips and caught the edge of his blanket between his fingers. His eyes darted up and to the side where Clint was, seeking help or reassurance, he wasn’t quite sure. He got a smile and a nod in response. Trying to hold on to that, Spencer turned back towards Tony. The good feeling from before was gone and a different one twisted in his stomach.

In the end, he didn’t have to say anything – JARVIS answered for him.

“Young Master Stark took copies of my coding from Vision and transferred it to a new set of servers. He then accessed by old servers and pulled out all the data that wasn’t destroyed or corrupted and copied that as well, combining it with the rest, after which he pieced me back together little by little.”

That seemed to shock Tony almost as much as the rest of it. Not just him, either. Bruce looked just as surprised. “You worked with Tony’s coding?”

“I did. It was the most confusing, brilliant, _beautiful_ sight I’ve ever witnessed,” Spencer interjected earnestly. “I couldn’t decipher it, but I could recognize enough of the pattern to piece things together. The more I pieced together, the clearer the pattern became, and the easier it was to find the next missing piece. It wasn’t a matter of working with Dad’s coding, not really. Just… recognizing patterns, I guess?”

The way that Bruce looked at him said it wasn’t anywhere near as simple as that. Spencer didn’t really care, though. His eyes had gone back to Tony once more, and he was observing his father figure.

Tears had gathered in Tony’s eyes. The shock was melting away, and joy was starting to shine through. It was a kind of pleasure that Spencer wasn’t sure he’d ever felt from Tony before. Something pure and unburdened by anything else. There was no edge of sadness to this, no guilt, no regret, no shame. This was just sheer _joy_. It grew and grew until Spencer swore he could feel it radiating from him. Tony was beaming even as he was crying, and any fear Spencer might’ve had was banished. “Thank you,” he looked over at Vision, just _beaming_ , and Vision smiled back at him. “ _Thank you_.”

“It was my sincere pleasure,” Vision told him, honesty seeping from every word.

Now that Spencer was sure that Tony was okay again, and that their present was well received, he brought himself back to lean against Tony’s legs once more. Or, at least, that was his plan. Tony derailed that by reaching down to him and tugging him upwards. Spencer went easily. He opened his arms, blanket and all, and wrapped Tony in tight for a hug. It was a reversal of their usual embrace, with Tony being the one that was tucked in close this time, his face buried against the side of Spencer’s neck. Holding him tight, and feeling the brush of tears against his neck, while all their family watched on around them with smiles on their faces, Spencer pressed his cheek against Tony’s hair. “Merry Christmas, Dad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is our last chapter in 2016 - now on to 2017!


	13. Chapter 13

**January 2017**

The snow was falling outside pretty steadily, as it had been for the past few hours. Tony sat in his rarely used office and leaned back a little in his chair to better watch it come down. A cup of coffee was cradled in one hand while the other hand tapped absently against the top of his desk. He hadn’t gotten as much sleep as he probably should have last night. Knowing that Peter and Spencer were out in this weather hadn’t exactly been conducive to a good night’s sleep. Tony hadn’t really been able to relax until JARVIS let him know that Spencer was safely back in his room.

God, when had he become so ridiculously domestic? _Probably somewhere around the time I adopted an adult-turned-fifteen-year-old_ , he reminded himself, chuckling a little. Then again, it’d started happening a bit before that. When he’d started to unofficially adopt his first teenager.

He didn’t regret a minute of it, though. Not a single one. Having these boys in his life had changed Tony. For the better, in his opinion. The person that he’d been, the place his mind and heart had been at, after the whole ‘Civil War,’ well… it hadn’t been good. Peter had helped to draw Tony out of that. He’d given Tony a reason to do better. To _be_ better. He’d kept Tony going when it felt like the rest of the world was trying to drag him down.

Then came Spencer, and Tony had two children very much worth living for. Two kids who took each day of his life and made it _better_. They gave his life purpose and reminded him of why it was he did what he did.

Tony smiled to himself as he brought his mug up for another drink. Then he shook his head. He was getting too deep into his thoughts for so early in the morning. Chuckling at himself, Tony brought a hand up and brushed his hair back from his face. “When did I become a grown-up?”

“About the time that you adopted children, I’d say, sir.”

The sound of that snarky British AI was enough to bring Tony’s smile out full bloom. Almost a whole month had passed since Christmas and Tony still hadn’t gotten over the thrill of having JARVIS back. Not just back, but as good as Tony had remembered him being. Spencer and Vision had done what Tony had deemed impossible. They’d actually managed to bring JARVIS back as he had been right at the end. Everything that Tony had looked at had made it clear that the only version of JARVIS he was going to get back would be an old one, likely pre-Avengers, or that he’d have to start from scratch. Yet Spencer and Vision had found a way around that.

Tony’s smile grew. “See? This is what happens when you’re not around, buddy. Crazy shit happens.”

“Indeed, sir,” JARVIS said, voice dry. “However, I take comfort in the fact that, in this instance, your particular brand of crazy seems to have mostly worked in your favor. Master Parker and young Master Stark seem to have your best interests in mind; far more than most others. Between them and FRIDAY, I’m confident you would be taken care of were I unable to do so.”

Despite the formality of his tone, there was evident affection in JARVIS’s voice, especially when it came to the two teens.

“Yeah, well, I’m glad we won’t have to find out. It’s good to have you back, buddy.”

“It’s good to be back, sir.”

Having JARVIS back in his life was the best gift that Tony had ever been given. The grief he’d felt at losing his best friend – hell, practically his _child_ – was more immense than many had realized. Tony had created JARVIS, been with him from the moment he was turned on right up until the very end and had watched him grow. They’d been through so much together. He was, in his own way, one of Tony’s children just the same as the bots were, only his intelligence had elevated him to a position more like a brother – best friend and family all rolled into one. Losing him had been like losing a piece of his heart. To have him back now was… it was amazing.

Once Tony had gotten past the shock of having JARVIS back with him, he’d been worried about what they’d do with two AI’s. FRIDAY had become important to him, too. There was no way he was going to be able to just shut her off or shunt her aside. Only, it seemed like the kids had all figured that out, too.

JARVIS and FRIDAY had worked out between them what they wanted to do. They’d divvied up their places in Tony’s life, and both seemed content with it. FRIDAY stayed with SI, more than happy to keep up the private watching she did on most of it as well as her presence in the offices where Tony occasionally – rarely – went. JARVIS was once more Tony’s co-pilot, with him in the suits and in his workshop. He also took over on Tony’s personal floor, though FRIDAY would be able to have access to that if they wanted her there.

They shared access to the rest of the Compound. Neither seemed to have a problem with it.

What had surprised Tony, as well as a few others, had been the request FRIDAY had made the day after Christmas when they’d talked about who was going where. FRIDAY had hesitated for a second before she’d spoken up, making a request they hadn’t expected. “Boss? If you don’t mind, with JARVIS taking over most of your private security and time, I was wondering if you might be all right if I took over in the Little Doc’s private rooms?”

Spencer had looked just as surprised as Tony by that request. “What?”

There’d been a wealth of warmth in FRIDAY’s voice as she’d answered Spencer’s surprised query. “I’ve enjoyed working with you these past few weeks, Little Boss. With Boss being taken care of by JARVIS again, I’ve got a lot of free time. I thought I could put that to use with you, as JARVIS does with Boss. If you don’t mind.”

Even if Tony hadn’t already been inclined to say yes to that request, the stunned awe on Spencer’s face would’ve been enough to cinch it for him. Tony knew the two had bonded quite a bit since Spencer’s arrival. There were plenty of times that Tony was aware that the two spoke through their private connection instead of out loud. FRIDAY had been there for Spencer right from the start, and it sounded like they’d gotten even closer during this project. In a way, it was almost like FRIDAY had become Spencer’s JARVIS.

So that was how, with Tony’s blessing, FRIDAY took over Spencer’s bedroom the same way that JARVIS had Tony’s whole floor. If Tony had heard right later, it sounded like Spencer was setting up his little house to be fitted for FRIDAY to be present through all of it now, too, not just the labs.

If Tony had talked to FRIDAY that night and changed some of her basic programmings – switching control entirely over to Spencer, giving him ‘creator’ status in her systems and altering the programming so that Spencer was at the core of it all, not Tony anymore – no one else needed to know. FRIDAY had been more than pleased by the offer and accepted it happily.

They were a weird, hodge-podge sort of family, one that worked out amazingly well. Having JARVIS back was like finding the missing piece of the puzzle. Now that he was here, they were complete.

Tony’s introspection was cut off by JARVIS letting him know the call he’d been waiting for had come in. “Sir, Professor Xavier is on the line for you.”

The two men had weekly conferences scheduled carefully to make sure that Spencer wasn’t present for them. Back at the start of Spencer’s counseling sessions, Charles had made a point to talk with the kid and figure out what he was and wasn’t comfortable with Charles sharing with Tony. Since then, the two men spoke weekly to touch base with one another and make sure that everything was going all right.

At a wave of Tony’s hand, a video projection appeared over his desk. It showed Charles sitting at his own desk, a cup of what was likely tea sitting nearby. Charles smiled the instant that the video feed connected between them. “Hello, Tony.”

“Hey, Charlie boy.” Grinning, Tony held up his mug in a sort of ‘cheers’ gesture. “Great minds think alike, I see. Perfect weather for comfy clothes and a warm cup of just about anything.”

Charles chuckled, not the least bit put off by Tony’s nicknames. He’d grown too used to them to be offended by them. “Indeed. It makes a lovely picture outside, too. I’ve always had a fondness for sitting and watching the snow. Of course, the pristine look lasts so rarely around here.”

This time it was Tony who laughed. He could only imagine what their yard looked like. All those kids there – they had to have a blast when the snow fell. “Not much different here. Peter was by this morning, and he dragged Spencer out into it. They got Clint and his kids up here, too, and even Laura and Vision joined them after a while. There was a pretty epic snowball fight, from what I hear.”

They went back and forth for a while with the comfort of two people who knew one another well. Though Tony had counted Charles as a friend before all this, he’d definitely gotten closer to him since bringing Spencer into his life. It’d been a necessity at first, though it’d quickly become a pleasure. Charles had a sharp mind and an easy-going personality. He never seemed all that bothered by Tony or Tony’s behavior, and he didn’t have too much of an issue trying to keep up with Tony’s mind.

Eventually, the casual conversation faded, and Charles gave his weekly report on Spencer’s progress. For his therapy, there didn’t seem to be much to report. That was slow going, and Tony knew that. Back at the start, Charles had warned him it wasn’t going to be easy, and it was going to take time. He’d told Tony “Spencer is a challenging patient. Working with those of high IQ always brings its own unique challenges to therapy, as I’m sure you’re already aware. Add in that he has a degree in psychology, and one in sociology, and that he made a career out of studying human behavior – and that’s not even touching on his training in interrogation – and it makes our conversations... interesting. It’s a very elaborate game we play with one another. He’s quite adept at telling when he’s being manipulated into something, as well as manipulating the conversation to his own ends. As he should be – he’s had practice at it since he was a child.”

They hadn’t gotten far in things, according to Charles, but they were making progress. Sometimes Charles shared specific information with Tony, things that he’d cleared with Spencer and that he thought might help.

This week, however, it wasn’t therapy that he brought up. It was his training.

“Spencer’s been progressing well in his training sessions,” Charles told him. He’d picked up his tea by then and cradled it in his hands much the same way that Tony was. “The control he starting to show in his electrical powers is getting better and better. You were right in recommending we focus more on a more precise use for them.”

Yeah, Tony had figured as much. The amount of skill and precision that Spencer had shown in his efforts to bring back JARVIS made it clear that Spencer had the mind and aptitude both to be able to use his electrical powers in a much more delicate way than the constructs and energy blasts he’d been working with so far.

Then Charles said “His empathy is something else entirely” and Tony went utterly still.

“Did something happen?” Tension filled Tony at the idea. Out of all the unique circumstances that Spencer brought with him, his empathy was the one that gave them honest trouble. Not because of any fear of theirs about being read, or any mistrust on their parts, but because they’d all learned just how much those powers affected the kid. No matter what Spencer did, it seemed like he could never completely get a handle on them. There was always a risk of him being overloaded or picking up on things he didn’t want or finding himself influenced by powerful emotions. Even if he did manage to keep his shields up, headaches were an everyday thing.

Even as all the possibilities of trouble ran through Tony’s mind, Charles was hurrying to reassure him, waving a hand in the air. “No, no. Nothing, in particular, happened, Tony. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to present it like that. It’s just, his empathy is something I’ve wanted to speak to you about for a little while now. I just wanted to wait until I had more data.”

The relief Tony felt was tempered by Charles’ last words. “What’s going on?”

“As you know, we’ve tried to train all of Spencer’s powers here to the best of our ability. In shielding, Spencer’s come quite a long way since we first met. His shields are… they’re extraordinary.”

“I’m sensing a ‘but’ here.”

Charles tipped his head in acknowledgment. His expression had turned serious. Setting his cup down on the desktop, he leaned forward and folded his arms, resting his weight on them. “Even with as strong as his shields have become, it doesn’t take much for Spencer to become overwhelmed. He can only stand being in large crowds for so long. Even if his shields stay up, it taxes him to keep them that way. Not to mention the amount of bleed-through that still happens. The more people, and the stronger their emotions, the more likely it is to influence him. Or to crash his shields entirely.”

Those were all the things that Tony had just been thinking of and all the things he regularly worried about. “He’s not getting better?”

“He is,” Charles concurred, dipping his head just a little. His intense focus stayed right on Tony, though. “However, judging by what we’ve seen and what we know of empathy – all of it tells us that ‘better’ is about the best we can hope for. As you know, we have those here that have just minor forms of empathy, and even with them, we have to make certain accommodations for them. Protocols that are enacted when they’re injured, ill, or showing signs of having lower-than-normal shielding. We’ve learned to watch for the signs and act accordingly. While those situations aren’t common, they are frequent enough. With someone of Spencer’s empathic strength…”

“…it’s gonna be a lot more common,” Tony finished for him, sighing as he did. He set his coffee mug down and sat back in his seat. “ _Damn_. He sure got saddled with the wrong guardian, didn’t he?” If this was really going to be Spencer’s life – low shields, having to play it cautious, dealing with headaches, all of these things – being the son of Tony Stark was going to make life a whole lot harder on him. Add in the fact that they lived at the Avengers Compound and, yeah, it didn’t really add up to the most peaceful of lives.

When he looked up, he found Charles shaking his head. “On the contrary, I think Spencer was lucky enough to be blessed with the perfect guardian.”

The honest sincerity in Charles’ tone threw Tony for a loop. “I… what?”

“Even for those without empathy, it’s easy to tell just how much you and Spencer care for one another,” Charles said. Ignoring the way that Tony’s cheeks heated a little at that, he pushed earnestly on, his tone still dripping with sincerity. “True affection like that cannot be faked with someone who not only has empathy but can read body language like Spencer does. You care for him, Tony, and you’re stubborn enough to make sure that he’s taken care of. Were Spencer with anyone else, I believe he wouldn’t be near as open about things as he is right now. He would likely lock it away and attempt to deal with it on his own, as life has often forced him to do in the past. But with you, Spencer has someone who cares, someone who makes sure he is cared for, and an entire family willing to help. Through you, he met us, and we’ve been able to provide a support system here. You’ve provided him with love and support, two very vital things.”

“I…” Tony’s words failed him for a moment, something that didn’t often happen.

The expression Charles wore softened into something warm. Gentle. He knew Tony well enough not to push, though. Thank God for that. Tony wasn’t sure what he would’ve finally managed to say if Charles had left him to stammer. Instead, the older man pushed on, sticking to business. “You’re also the best suited, I believe, in setting up the proper protocols to help keep Spencer safe. If you’d like, I can walk you through some of the safety protocols we employ here for any empath or telepath. I believe both might be beneficial in helping you.”

“Yeah.” This was something Tony could do. The rest of it, he wasn’t going to even comment on it. Just the idea of him being someone’s emotional support was laughable. But setting up safety protocols? Planning to keep the kid safe? _That_ , he could definitely do. “Yeah.” Straightening up, Tony pushed away the rest of it and focused on just this. “J, let's start a new file on this. Project ‘Baby Guard.’ Transfer over all the information we have on Spencer – his health, his powers, everything – and then open up a new file and take notes on what the Professor and I figure out here.”

“Of course, sir,” JARVIS answered immediately.

Tony focused back on the screen as he folded his hands in a mirror of Charles’ pose. “All right, Charles. Whenever you’re ready.”

“Let’s start with our protocols for fieldwork…”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a real short snapshot this time. Remember guys, these are supposed to be just that - snapshots. Little glimpses of important things. We've got a few left that're planned and then we're onto something big xD

**February, 2017**

Spencer curled his arms a little tighter around himself and shivered as the wind blew and sent a chill down his whole body. This was so  _stupid_. He was going to kick Peter when he got here. Kick him  _hard_. Shouldn’t he _dis_ like the cold? With his powers coming from a spider bite it would make logical sense that he would at least  _slow down_  during the winter. Spiders were cold-blooded and not attracted to warmth, but if Spencer remembered right – and he usually did – the cold generally caused them to become less active and eventually dormant.

That seemed to be one spider-skill that Peter had missed out on. The teen was just as hyper during the winter months as he was during the rest of the year, it would appear.

Which meant that not even nights like this where there was snow did either of them stop their patrols. Currently, Spencer was awaiting Peter’s arrival in their designated spot – to which Peter was already a  _half-hour late_. Once more Spencer mad the mental promise to kick him when he saw him.

A sudden swell of amusement had Spencer tilting his head up in just enough time to watch a red suit come dropping down in front of him. If it hadn’t been for his empathy, Spencer might’ve hesitated before reacting, but those emotions weren’t familiar to him – they weren’t Peter – which meant it was some stranger in a suit landing here. In a flash, Spencer jerked himself back across the rooftop, and he had his hands out on either side of him in preparation. The move had been instinctive; a reaction to someone landing directly in his space.

The reaction he got was nothing like he expected. The guy in the red and black uniform didn’t start attacking or even look surprised. Instead, he brought both his hands up to his chest and curled them into fists that shook just a bit with – Spencer’s eyebrows shot up as he felt the emotion in the air –  _excitement_? “Oohhhhhh! You’re even cuter than I expected!” The guy laid one of his hands flat over his heart and dropped his other one down and out like he was trying to grab on to something as if his knees were weak. “Oh, sweet Jesus, you’re tiny. I think you’re tinier than Petey.” Pausing, he tilted his head, and Spencer swore the eyes on the mask actually  _narrowed_  a little. “This Petey’s the young one, right? Tiny guy, fuzzy hair, nuts haven’t quite dropped? I’ve been all over, lately. I don’t wanna be getting my Petey’s mixed up.”

Holy shit, what on earth was going on here? Spencer’s brain was spinning. Not only had this guy landed on him out of nowhere, somehow shielding his emotions until he was right up on Spencer, but he was also acting like he knew who Spencer was and he  _used Peter’s name_. That wasn’t good. Because, a guy in a suit, talking to another guy in the suit, who was actually waiting for Peter/Spiderman to show up? Yeah. There was no such thing as a coincidence.

Spencer tried to stall a little as his brain raced ahead. “Who?”

Even with the mask on it wasn’t hard for Spencer to tell that this guy was grinning at him. “You’re so cute when you’re trying to be secretive! You’re like a tiny little fluffy puppy. I just wanna scoop you up and carry you around in my belt pouch.”

When the guy actually took a step forward and made as if to reach out to him, like he was really going to try and pick him up –  _What the hell?? –_ Spencer leaned back and held one hand up, the charge already building on his skin. “Attempt it, and I will electrocute you.”

The sound that the man made was somewhere between a coo and a squeal and something that Spencer had never expected to hear from any grown man. Before he could react, he found that the guy was right there in his face reaching out and… pinching his cheeks through the mask. Pinching his cheeks and making  _cooing_  sounds at him. “So cute!”

Spencer couldn’t help himself – he let a charge run over his skin, just enough to jolt the guy backward.

This guy was _insane_. He landed on his backside on the rooftop and didn’t even seem bothered by it. In fact, he laughed! “Good job!” The way he scrambled up to his feet was anything but graceful. When he was on his feet again, the mask was stretched in a way that told Spencer the guy was grinning at him. “I’m glad you’re standing up for yourself. I’d hate to see someone take advantage of a cutie like you. You’re just so tiny, it’d be easy.”

“Quit it,” Spencer grumbled at him. He was grateful for the mask he wore that kept his face sheltered so that this guy couldn’t see his blush. Speaking of his mask, though… “Would you quit calling me _cute_? I’m wearing a suit! You can’t even see me!”

“Like the whole world doesn’t know what you look like! Everyone knows who Papa Stark’s newest baby boy is. When I saw you up here, I had to come and meet you, of course. Gotta see who the kid is that’s hanging out with my little Petey. Course, I didn’t expect you to be so damn adorable.”

Spencer’s blush deepened. Dammit! “Will you stop it?” Whoever this guy was, he was strange, Spencer had to admit that. Yet he didn’t really give a ‘creepy’ impression despite all his talk about how cute or adorable Spencer was. There was nothing in his emotions that made Spencer feel uncomfortable. Besides, as Spencer studied him, little things started to piece together in his head, things that were giving him a pretty good clue as to who this might actually be.”

If he was right, the guy that he was pretty sure was Deadpool folded both his hands over his heart. “Awww! Are you blushing?”

Deliberately ignoring his blush, Spencer tried to glare through the mask. “Maybe I just find it disturbing to have a grown man constantly telling me how cute and adorable they think I am. Especially when I don’t even know who you are.”

“Good point!” The man said, clapping his hands together. He held one finger out to point at Spencer. “You’re a smart one. No wonder Petey likes you! You don’t have to worry about lil ol’ me, though. I might be a bad guy, but I’ve got _some_ morals. Anyone under eighteen is safe, always, no matter what. That includes you, puddin’ pop. As for who I am, well, I’m broken-hearted you don’t know who I am! I mean, I’m _me_. Who _doesn’t_ know who I am? I swear, what’re they teaching you kids nowadays?”

With a shake of his head, the guy moved forward and held out his hand, his mask showing the lines that made it clear he was grinning once more. “Wade Winston Wilson, at your service, sometimes known as Deadpool. You can call me Uncle Wadey.”

Oh dear mother of God. Spencer stared down at the guy’s hand and then back up at his face. It was the first time in a long time he could honestly remember being without words.

He realized he’d been staring for too long when he felt a flash of hurt from Wade and then the guy was curling his hand in and drawing it backward. “Oh, well, it’s cool, you know. Stranger Danger and all that jazz…”

Despite himself, Spencer felt guilt for the fact that the guy truly sounded hurt by this, and he couldn’t help trying to smooth it over. “I’m sorry. I don’t… I don’t like touching. Especially people I don’t know.”

That was all it took to make Wade brighten right back up again. His body and emotions perked up, and he was once more grinning behind his mask. “Oh, hey, no problem! Probably a smart plan not to go around touching strange guys you don’t even know. I mean, who knows where their hand’s been, am I right? For all you know they could’ve been playing slap-happy with the one-eyed snake, and who wants that all over their hand?”

Spencer only had a moment to think about that before Wade was yanking something out of one of his pouches and dropping down into a squat. He had something on the ground that it looked like he was… writing on? Yeah, he was writing on it. There was a piece of paper in his hand when he stood back up. Wade held the paper out Spencer’s direction and waited for him to take it. “Here. It’s my number,” he explained pointlessly, once Spencer took the paper from him. “You ever need anything, you give Uncle Wadey a call.”

“Um… thanks?”

“Yep!” With a laugh, Wade spun and jumped up onto the nearby ledge. He gave Spencer a mock salute. “Catch you later, Iron Baby!” And with no more than that, he jumped.

Spencer lunged forward, only to have the guy’s emotions disappear just seconds later. When Spencer peeked over the edge of the roof, there was no one there. “What the hell,” What had even just happened? Spencer drew carefully backward. He had no idea what to even make of what’d just happened here. He’d heard Peter talk about Deadpool before, but those stories hadn’t managed to accurately portray the randomness that was apparently Deadpool.

It took a few minutes for Spencer to wrap his head around it all. In the end, he brushed it off, pocketing the number to put on his phone later. He wasn’t quite sure what he thought of the guy, but he wasn’t going to just throw away his number. You never knew when information like that might come in handy.

After that, Spencer pushed it all back from his mind and focused back on the present. Namely, the still missing teenager. He pulled the phone from his pocket and dialed Peter’s number from memory. Peter picked up on the second ring, already babbling excuses as he did. “I’m so sorry, Spencer! I swear, I was on time, I really was, but then there was this thing and some dudes with guns…”

All thoughts of Deadpool vanished from Spencer’s mind as Peter’s story spilled out. In the next instant, Spencer was taking off to the edge of the roof and making a leap of his own. His energy board appeared underneath him and caught him up quickly, taking him off through the night towards a friend who never could seem to find a way to keep out of trouble. Later, once he was back home, he’d try and figure out this weird meeting and if there was anything about it that should worry him. For now, he had a best friend to go save.


	15. Graduation and the Future

**June, 2017**

There were times that Spencer was still getting used to the fact that he was a celebrity in this world. Going out in public wasn’t exactly the easiest thing in the world for him. Not if he didn’t want the eyes of everyone on him. Disguises could only get him so far, too. Especially after people had caught him out in them more than once. That meant that those disguises were useless – watched for, now, by the general public – and he had to come up with new ones. But if there were ever worth anything trying to disguise himself for, today had been it.

Today, they’d gone to Peter’s graduation.

The teenager was graduating earlier than some of his peers. He was just barely over seventeen. Yet, he’d completed his credits, and he’d gotten all he could get out of high school. Even one as advanced as this one. Intellectually, what Peter really needed was a better learning environment. A place that would challenge him. Spencer had advocated for that throughout the school year as Peter hemmed and hawed and went back and forth about his choice to potentially graduated before others. In the end, it probably helped that Ned had managed to complete his necessary credits and was graduating early, too.

As soon as he found out that Peter was graduating early, Tony worked hard to plan things out. He wanted to be there right along with Spencer, and neither one of them wanted to draw too much attention and take away from Peter’s day. This was the time for _Peter_ to shine.

It was worth it. All the extra measures they’d had to go through just to be here were worth it. Spencer sat in the audience full of excited people, sweating horribly underneath the had pulled down on his head, his shields feeling the pressure of so much excitement, and yet he was grinning broadly as he listened to the speaker reading out the names of the students.

On Spencer’s left sat Jim, here to not only watch Peter but to stand as a guard, Spencer knew. The teen snuck a glance to his right where Tony was sitting and waiting with a proud grin on his lips. Bruce was on Tony’s other side, a surprise guest that Spencer hadn’t anticipated, but there was no denying that Bruce was just as proud as Tony even though it didn’t show quite so brightly. They both loved Peter in their own way.

The speaker called out another name. The sound of it had Spencer’s attention snapping back up to the stage. The next name was Peter’s, he knew. Spencer’s hand clenched down where he was holding the curve of Tony’s arm. He’d kept his hand there so that he could use Tony as a buffer against the crowds around him and it’d worked so far. Now he was unconsciously holding on tighter as his own excitement and pride grew.

“Peter Parker.”

A loud “Woo!” came from the audience, followed by a few other cheers. Tony, Bruce, Spencer, and Jim all gave cheers of their own, though they tried to keep it down from what they really wanted to do. The whole point was to _not_ draw attention to themselves. The only attention they needed to draw was from the teenager that was walking across the stage to get his diploma.

Spencer beamed when Peter’s eyes found them. The way Peter’s cheeks heated, yet stretched wide with his grin, only made Spencer’s own smile grow. Spencer reached out to that bright spark that his empathy had tagged as Peter so long ago, using the connection that had seemingly been fostered from time, exposure, and use between them, and he used it to send his own emotions as Stephen had been teaching him to do. He sent Peter love, pride, and his joy for his best friend. Peter lit up even more, and his own pleasure was bright and easy to feel even amidst all the other emotions around them.

The arm under Spencer’s hand gave a tug, and the teen immediately followed it without even having to think about it. He sank down into his seat while still keeping most of his focus on the happy and stunned emotions that Peter was sending him now.

They kept up their link as the rest of the ceremony continued on. Spencer didn’t bother paying any attention now that Peter wasn’t on stage. He just closed his eyes and leaned in against Tony while he and Peter sent emotions back and forth in a way that was as good as any conversation for them. Like this, Spencer was able to feel just how much Peter was in shock by all this, despite having known for a while that he was going to graduate early. In return, Spencer sent him the pride he felt for him and his happiness at what Peter had accomplished. Peter sent back love in return as well as some embarrassment.

Spencer didn’t really start paying attention to the world around him again until Tony was tugging him up and nudging him forward. “No, it’s all right, I got him,” he heard Tony say. Then Tony’s free hand came up and curled over Spencer’s, keeping him in place while he was led out of the aisle they’d been sitting off and off to the side where parents and graduates were all meeting together. Spencer felt it as Peter got closer to him and he drew himself out of their link enough to be able to start to see Peter with his eyes as well as with his empathy.

There was no need for either one to seek the other out. The two look right at each other. May was already with Peter, one arm around him as she was saying something, her whole face glowing and her smile the widest that Spencer had seen yet on her.

Then she was saying something, and Peter laughed before breaking away. In a flash the teen was taking off through the crowd; Spencer only had a moment to let go of Tony and take two steps away from him before he was barreled into by the speeding bullet that was Peter.

The crowd parted for them as the two impacted. Only Jim and Tony’s quick hands kept the two from toppling over. Neither cared, though. Spencer was laughing, and Peter was grinning when he pulled back, hands still on Spencer’s shoulders. Eyes crinkling from his own smile, Spencer ignored everyone else and just looked at his best friend. With Spencer’s recent growth spurt, he actually had to look _down_ at Peter now. “Congratulations, Peter.”

Peter blew out a breath and slumped down in Spencer’s hold. “I can’t believe you made it! Did you see me up there? I swear, I thought I was going to trip and fall. That would’ve been just my luck! Can you even imagine that? Just tripping and falling all over the place, oh man, that’d be, like, _terrible_.”

Laughter echoed around them. Tony came up alongside them, one hand out to rest on Peter’s back, and Bruce and Jim were right there with him. Under Tony’s hat, his eyes were sparkling, and his grin was that honest one that so few got to see, the one that put wrinkles on his face and made his eyes crinkle up. “You managed to make it across the stage without any mishaps. I told you you’d be fine!”

“Did you really think we’d be anywhere else?” Jim interjected, smirking as he nudged Tony out of the way. Spencer stepped back so that Jim could wrap Peter up in a huge hug.

Bruce took a hug next, murmuring words in Peter’s ear as he did that had Peter blushing and smiling at the same time.

Then it was Tony’s turn, and he folded Peter in close. The emotion between the two was the most fantastic thing to be able to feel. Spencer felt almost like he was intruding; at the same time, he felt privileged that he could feel what was there between them. The love that those two carried for each other was the strong and enduring kind. It was what Spencer imagined that things were supposed to feel like between a father and son. Firm, steady, and so, so deep.

May’s presence broke through the crowd. Turning, Spencer smiled at her as she came up to them at a much slower pace than her nephew had. She stopped at Spencer’s side, leaning in towards him just a little until he leaned back. That was all the permission May needed to slip her arm around his waist and press against his side. May was amazing like that – she never took any touch from him that she wasn’t sure he wanted, and she always made entirely sure that he actually wanted it instead of just guessing.

“They grow up so fast, don’t they?” she teased, tilting her head to look up at Spencer’s face.

He chuckled even as he wrapped his arm around her in turn. “It feels like it, doesn’t it? One minute they’re tripping over their words and their own feet, and the next they’re walking across that stage and _graduating_.”

“Hey!” Peter broke away from Tony so that he could spin around and mock-glare at them while everyone else laughed. When he saw their unrepentant smirks, he rolled his eyes, though his lips twitched a little. “You two are ridiculous.”

May laughed and reached a hand out to pat his cheek. “Oh, sweetheart. You’re just now figuring that out?”

Warmth filled Spencer as he watched Peter whine and everyone else laugh. This, right here, this was _family_. It was what he’d had bits of with his team back in the other universe, and that he’d thought he would never really get to have ever again. Yet somehow he’d been blessed enough to find it. Not just the hesitant bits of it here and there like he’d had before, either. This was a real, proper family, one that loved him and who he loved in return. He’d had to come to an entirely different universe just to find it, but it was his. And as he watched them now while Tony drew Peter in and started to lead them away with promises of a graduation party and Peter’s choice of food, Spencer knew he’d do anything possible to keep this.

* * *

They headed back to the Compound where the rest of their family was waiting for them. May, Tony, and Pepper had planned out a party, and the whole of their family was there.

The way that Peter lit up as he walked onto the common floor and found everyone waiting there – with a giant “Congratulations!” banner and plenty of presents – was a memory that Spencer would hold on to for a long time. He made a mental note to get FRIDAY or JARVIS to create a picture of it later for him from the security feed. That was if Tony wasn’t already planning on doing the same thing.

There were a lot of moments that Spencer wanted to be immortalized. Peter, buried underneath the Barton kids, laughing with Cooper as Lila and Nate climbed over them. The way that Peter looked as he opened up present after present; gift cards, supplies for his future dorm room, a new watch, and various other things. Peter and Tony standing together by the window for a private moment while the others chatted. Or the whole group of them gathered together, all of them talking and laughing and just… just being happy to be together. At one point Spencer and Peter shared a look – the both of them knew this was a day they wouldn’t soon forget.

It was sort of inevitable that conversation that night would turn to college. Everyone, the entire family, was spread out, enjoying Chinese takeout – Peter’s choice of meal for the night. Tony had let him pick ‘in celebration,’ and Peter had made them all laugh by asking for simple Chinese takeout.

The Barton children were over watching TV while eating their food. Laura and Vision sat near them, deep in some sort of discussion on the couch. Clint was sprawled on the ground with Nate on him, sharing a carton of noodles.

Peter, May, Jim, Tony, Bruce, Pepper, and Spencer were all gathered together at the kitchen table.

It was Pepper who brought up college. She was curled up in a chair just a few down from Peter, her shoes off and her feet tucked up in the seat, making her look comfortable and at home with them all. “Have you thought about where you’d like to go for college yet, Peter?” she asked.

Peter flushed a little and ducked his head down. He shrugged one shoulder while very deliberately not looking up at anyone. There was embarrassment mixed in with the pleasure he’d been feeling, as well as a hint of pride and something else Spencer wasn’t quite sure of. Doubt? Regret? “I’m, uh, I’m not sure yet? I mean, there are plenty of great places around here, and I know I should’ve probably already had all my applications in and such, but I wasn’t really sure I…” He paused here, flushing even more, and it wasn’t hard for Spencer to mentally fill that in. _I wasn’t sure I’d be able to go_. With a low cough, Peter glossed over the awkward moment and kept on going. “I got all these scholarships, though, so I mean that kind of opens up a lot of doors. May and I are gonna sit down and take a look at things this weekend. Right, Aunt May?”

A warm smile lit May’s face. “That’s right, sweetheart. We’ll figure out something, I’m sure.”

It was Bruce who pushed the conversation along for them, saving Peter from the current awkwardness. Spencer knew Peter was touchy about his finances and what he might be able to afford for college. “Do you have an idea about what area of study you might lean towards?”

Bruce’s question had Peter lighting up. The next fifteen minutes were spent discussing biophysics and biochemistry to a degree that lost a few of those listening in.

Watching Peter get so excited about something was always entertaining for Spencer. He loved the enthusiasm that the other teen showed for subjects like this that he was passionate about. Topics that weren’t _Spiderman_ or the _Avengers._ It was in these moments that Spencer was able to see the average, intelligent teen that Peter might’ve been if he’d never been bitten by that spider.

Spencer got so caught up in listening to Peter and Bruce go back and forth, debating the merits of different courses and different directions he could take those studies if he so wished, that he almost missed May turning to him to ask “What about you, Spencer?”

The sound of his name caught him off guard. He looked up, noodles poised halfway to his mouth. “Huh?”

Amusement lit May’s eyes. Her lips twitched little like she wanted to laugh at him. Somehow she managed to hold it back. “I was wondering if you’ve decided what you want to do. I know you were planning on taking this first year to think about things and get settled in, but I was curious if you’d made any sort of plans for yourself.”

Oh. Now it was Spencer’s turn to get a bit awkward. He poked down at his noodles with his fork and shrugged one shoulder. “I’ve thought about a few things.” He’d thought about a _lot_ if he were honest. It’d been almost a year now that Spencer had been here and he’d had plenty of time during that to think about what he wanted to do with himself. Sneaking a look up, he found Pepper smiling at him. She gave him a small nod that helped him relax enough to find his words again. “I, um, I’m not really sure that college is going to be the thing for me.”

“Really?” Tony asked, sounding surprised. He turned to face Spencer. So did everyone else, actually.

Having all those eyes on him only made Spencer want to squirm. He stirred at his noodles as an excuse not to look up at them for a moment. Spencer wasn’t entirely sure how they were going to like this. Another glance up at Pepper showed him that he had support here. This time, their shared look wasn’t missed, and it spawned a bit of confusion. Especially from Tony. But no one said anything as Spencer finally spoke again. “The thing is…well, I mean, I’ve done this before. The whole ‘college’ bit. And don’t get me wrong, I truly love learning new things. I don’t think I’ll ever stop. But I don’t think that the life of a college student is something I want to experience again.”

“Do you know what you want to do?” Bruce asked curiously. There was no trace of judgment in his tone. He was honestly curious.

“Well, to be honest…” Pausing, Spencer bit his bottom lip, casting a worried glance Peter’s direction. He wasn’t sure how Peter would take this. But, this was what Spencer wanted, and he really hoped that Peter would understand it. Spencer drew in a breath and turned his focus to Tony. “Honestly, I’m quite enjoying what I have so far. Training to be an Avenger, helping, and working with _you_ , Dad. What you’ve shown me with SI so far…” Pausing, Spencer shrugged. “I like it. I like the work there.”

For the past few months, Tony had been gradually introducing Spencer to Stark Industries and all that it entailed. It was kind of like a crash course of all the things that _Tony_ had learned as he grew up. He showed Spencer what they were about, what they were hoping to do with their future. Everything that was important for the heir to the fortune to know. It wasn’t much so far, just little things, yet there was the potential to learn more that had Spencer eagerly looking forward to those moments.

Thinking that had Spencer’s lips quirking just the slightest bit. He shared a look of amusement with Pepper and then turned his smile to Tony. “Which, by the way, if you’re going to keep using me this way, I’d like to sit and discuss an actual contract.”

A hint of a grin started to tug at Tony’s lips. “I was wondering how long it’d take you to say something.”

Though Tony knew what Spencer was getting at, and Pepper did, the others hadn’t seemed to catch on yet. “What’re you talking about?” Peter asked, looking back and forth between them.

Spencer didn’t look away from Tony while answering Peter, reading everything he could off of Tony’s face while he did. “You know that Dad’s been showing me around with SI lately. Well, while learning, I’ve been taking on more and more assistant duties with Dad over the past few months, making sure he gets to appointments or deals with the paperwork that Pepper leaves for him. I’ve also been helping him in the workshop, where he’s been teaching me. Just as he’s been teaching me when he does his paperwork, or talks ‘casually’ about the meetings he’s attended.” One corner of Spencer’s mouth twitched up a little. “You’ve been grooming me.”

“Of course I have.” Tony didn’t look the least bit repentant. He sat back in his seat and crossed one leg over the other, ankle resting on the opposite knee. His coffee mug rested on his knee, the top held just by the tips of his fingers. His eyes, though, were sharp as they watched Spencer just as intently as Spencer was watching him. The rest of the table had fallen quiet while the two squared off. “You’re my kid, Spencer. My heir. Unless you tell me specifically that you don’t want this, one day it’s gonna all end up going to you. Well, you and Pepper, with some shares for Pete here, too. But you’ll be the figurehead that’ll be expected to step up. You’ll be the Stark behind Stark Industries.”

“You were giving me a taste to see if it was something I wanted, while also starting training.”

Tony nodded his head. “Yep.”

That was… well, it was smart, and manipulative, and pretty much what Spencer had expected. That was fine, though. Spencer wasn’t walking into this dumb or blind, either.

He set his fork down in the box of noodles and sat back in his seat in an unconscious mirror of Tony’s position. One leg casually crossed over the other in a tighter and more professional pose than Tony’s loose seating. Spencer folded his hands down in his lap and settled in to negotiate. “I like what you do and the direction you’ve been taking your company in. The inventing portion of things isn’t something I think I’ll ever even come close to be able to match you at, though.”

“Few do,” Tony said without any shame or even any hint of ego. “Still, you do pretty well, and R&D has never looked better. Plus, you’ve got an eye for talent, which is just as important, and you know enough to be able to take ideas already there and improve on them. Not to mention, there are amazing things in your brain, even if you don’t have the drive to make them that I do. R&D would love to sit and pick apart your brain anytime you’re willing to go visit.”

Spencer inclined his head in thanks. “Thank you. I’ll be honest, though – it’s the business side of things I find myself enjoying quite a bit more than I expected to, and I wouldn’t mind exploring more of that. I’ve always liked facts, numbers, and statistics. In case you were actually interested, I spoke with Pepper and had her draw up a contract that she thinks will mutually benefit the both of us, with an outline of what would actually be required of me. Anything else that we choose to add, well… not everything needs to be written down.”

Off to the side, Bruce let out a low whistle. “You’ve put some real thought into this.” He looked impressed by the idea of it.

Not anywhere near as impressed as Tony looked, though. Or as _proud._ Tony was beaming at Spencer, and there was a proud light in his eyes that was echoed so strongly in his emotions it made Spencer’s throat close up a little. “Have FRIDAY forward a copy of the contract to JARVIS, and I’ll take a look at it tonight. Let’s meet up in the office tomorrow, say, nineish?”

Spencer had to clear his throat twice before he could make his voice work right. “Sounds good to me.”

They let it drop after that, for which Spencer was grateful. He’d taken up enough attention on Peter’s night. Later, he’d have FRIDAY forward the contract to JARVIS, and tomorrow they’d talk about it. But for tonight they were going to focus on Peter, just the way they should be.

* * *

Talk of Spencer’s future work was pushed to the wayside just the way that Spencer wanted. They spent the evening celebrating Peter just like they should have, and it was perfect. There was lots of food, laughter, and plenty of stories. It was precisely what it should’ve been.

That didn’t mean that Spencer wasn’t prepared for the subject to come back up, though.

That night, after everything was over, Spencer and Peter were hanging out in Peter’s room – Spencer on the bed and Peter in his web-hammock – when Peter finally brought up the earlier conversation. He did it almost casually, without letting too much through in his words when he asked, “So, you’re really not gonna go to college again?”

Spencer laid a finger down to mark his spot in his book before looking up at the nearby hammock. Peter was lying so that it was impossible for Spencer to see his face. No way for him to read anything there. The mood of the room felt mostly relaxed, yet Spencer didn’t bother trying to delve any deeper and see what was there under the relaxation. “I’ve done college before,” Spencer answered slowly, taking time with his words. “It was an experience I’ll cherish for the rest of my life, don’t get me wrong. I have both good and bad memories from that time. But…”

“But what?”

“Peter, I’m too old.” Spencer sighed and closed his book. He set it on his lap, hands folded on top of it. “I know you don’t think of me like that, but I am. I’m too old to be going to college and pretending to be a teenager. I did my time with that. I went to college when I looked younger than everyone else and was often miles ahead of them in intelligence. I don’t want to do that again, not when there’s no point. I don’t _need_ the degrees. What good is it really going to do me to go again?”

The room was quiet for a moment as Peter processed his words. There came the sound of a soft sigh from the hammock. “I never thought of it like that.”

“I’ve been thinking of little else these past few months.” He’d also thought of a lot of other things he doubted Peter had. Like what it would mean to go to college here, as Spencer Stark, opposed to the college experience he’d had as just plain Spencer. “You’re going to have a blast, Peter. You and Ned, you’ll get a place together, room together in the dorms maybe, and you’ll have so much fun. College, it’s hard, but it’s one hell of an experience. Something you don’t want to miss. Just because I’m not going to be there doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun. We’ll see each other on breaks, and I’ll come out and visit you, and we can video chat as often as you need. If you get homesick, I have an energy board and the ability to fly – I’ll make my way to wherever you are. No matter what time of day or night it is.”

There was a low huff of laughter from Peter at that. But Spencer could feel how his emotions had lightened at Spencer’s promise. “You’re a dork,” Peter told him. The smile was easy to hear as he added on “Thanks, Spencer.”

Smiling, Spencer picked up his book once more. “You’re quite welcome.”


	16. Father's Day

**June 2017**

Most of the family was gone this afternoon as Tony sat down in the living room of the common floor and very much did _not_ sulk. He wasn’t too worried about an audience; there was no one there to see it. Bruce was off at SI today speaking with a couple of people in R &D about one of his current projects, and Vision had gone with him just to be safe. Pepper was working, Clint was down with his family, and Jim had gone off for a meeting with Carol Danvers. She was an old friend of his and someone they were hoping to talk to about the Avengers.

If they could get her to join, Carol would be a hell of a team leader, and that was something they really needed right now. There were more and more potential recruits that were coming across Tony’s desk each day. JARVIS was helping him keep an eye out for any with powers out there that Tony could direct to somewhere that might be able to help them. The only thing was, right now there were only so many places he could send someone. If they were mutant, Tony could send them along to Charles, and Charles could help them learn their powers and be safe until they had control. If they _weren’t_ mutant but still had powers, well, if they had control there was a chance he could recruit them to the Avengers, or bring them here to stay. But what about the teenagers? Ones like Peter, who got bit by a spider, or this new girl he’d found recently, Kamala, who apparently got her powers through some kind of weird mist.

There was no place for these kids to go where they’d be able to learn about their powers safely. The best chance they had was coming here, to the Avengers Compound. But if they were going to do that, there needed to be more team leaders. More adults capable of helping contain, control, and _teach_ these kids. Then, as they learned, they’d be able to form actual teams. Teams that would be able to help in a fight.

Tony hadn’t ever forgotten that there was something bigger in their future. Something that was coming for them. What he’d glimpsed on the other side of that portal all those years ago had never left him. Earth needed to be ready for whatever came their way. They needed to trust in those with powers to help them when that time came. It was one of the reasons why he worked so hard to improve mutant/superpowered/human relations. They needed to all be able to get along and _work together_. The Accords helped with that. It put a chain of command out there. A group already in place so that, when the threat finally came, they’d have people there and ready to be able to start analyzing things and deploy their forces as needed. There wouldn’t be group after group out there, all of them rogues, trying to do their own thing and potentially screwing it up because they couldn’t be coordinated with each other, or killing tons of people because they didn’t think about evacuating an area before fighting.

A headache started to build. Tony sighed and leaned back no the couch, taking a moment to indulge himself by rubbing his forefinger and thumb over the bridge of his nose.

These were thoughts that plagued him all the time. There was so much that needed to be done to get the earth ready. People they needed to recruit, training that needed to happen, before they could even begin making official teams. It was time for the Compound to turn in to what he’d initially planned it to be – not just a place to gather together their warriors, but a place of safety, a place to learn.

He was absurdly grateful for Spencer’s interest in working at SI. The kid caught on ridiculously fast to things; in no time, he’d be stepping up even more, and then between Spencer and Pepper it would free up a lot of Tony’s time. He’d be able to focus more on the Avengers and following the vision he had for them. Spencer might only be sixteen, almost seventeen, but Tony never forgot he was actually an adult. He wasn’t some kid who was going to go in and screw up SI by not caring about things. Spencer was smart. The teen would take this next year, year and a half, and he’d learn all he could so that by the time he was eighteen and legally an adult, he’d be able to actually step up and take more responsibilities. Then it was only three more years until he could actually step in and take over as CEO.

Tony had never planned on having kids. Once he’d made Pepper CEO, he’d figured that was it, that was where his legacy would pass on to. There might not be a Stark to give the company to, but Tony had given it to the next best thing. Yet now he had a Stark to pass things on to. Blood or not, Spencer _was_ a Stark, and he’d do the family name proud.

Thinking of his kid had Tony smiling even as his sulk started to kick back in. It reminded him of why he was up here, alone, and not down in his workshop like he wanted to be. “J, show me the security footage of my workshop.”

A moment later the nearby TV turned on. It only took a second for Tony to place which camera JARVIS was using. The sneaky little shit, he’d picked a camera that showed Tony precisely what he wanted to see without actually showing him anything.

On the screen, Tony could clearly see both Peter and Spencer. The two were standing together bent over one of Tony’s taller work tables. The camera angle didn’t allow for Tony to actually see what it was they were doing.

As much as he wanted to know what had spurred them into asking to use his workshop, he still found himself saying “Block their words, J.”

“Of course, sir,” JARVIS said easily.

As Tony sat there watching him, he heard the sound of the elevator ding nearby. There was only one person that Tony could think of that would be showing up right now. He didn’t bother to turn and look. Just watched the screen as Peter stretched to get something and then handed it over to Spencer. The two worked well together in there. Smooth. Tony made a mental note to get them more workshop time with each other. Spencer had ideas in his head, whether he would admit to it or not, and Peter was _full_ of ideas. Add that in with the talent and intelligence those two possessed and they’d probably come close to matching, if not surpassing, some of Tony’s inventions. The idea of it made him smile.

The footsteps that had been coming up behind him paused for a moment. “Why are you sitting up here watching those two like some kind of creeper?” Jim asked him, amusement practically dripping from each word.

Smiling, Tony finally turned his head and arched an eyebrow up at his best friend. “Creeper? You’ve been hanging out with the kids too long, Rhodey. And for your information, I’m not _creeping_ on them. In fact, I’d say it’s their fault I’m up here watching them instead of down there, really. They kicked me out.”

An incredulous look took over Jim’s features. “They…kicked you out. Of your own workshop.”

Tony hummed as he turned back to look at the screen again. The boys had their heads together over the table, and they were doing _something_ together that had Spencer letting out those snorts that he only did when really relaxed. In response, Peter threw his head back and laughed, open and carefree. The sound was on enough for him to catch that.

The couch dipped a little as Jim slid down to sit beside him. He was quiet for a moment while they watched the boys fiddle with their project. Jim was the one to finally break the silence. “They look happy.”

A smile curved Tony’s lips. Yeah, they did. “They told me they had a private, surprise project they needed to put some finishing touches on that couldn’t be done in Spencer’s workshop, and I wasn’t allowed back in for the next few hours.” He let out a snort of his own as he remembered that conversation. It was more like, Peter had stammered a little, a bit flustered but fully backing Spencer, while Spencer had been straight to the point with that hint of confidence he was starting to build. He was still so damn shy most of the time, and he hated asking for anything when it came to himself. But for whatever this was, for Peter? Spencer was finding his feet. It was, nice to see.

“They’re good kids.”

Tony’s smile grew. He couldn’t help it. Because, yeah, they were. They were damn good kids. He knew he was lucky to have them in his life.

Still smiling at the TV, he asked Jim, “How’d the meeting with Carol go?”

“She said she’ll let us know by the end of the week.”

Good. That was good. That meant Carol was actually thinking about it and not just accepting blindly, or worse, turning them down right from the start. “I’ll have JARVIS send along all the information she’ll need to look at.” Better she made an informed decision than get surprised by something later on. Plus, it might help her make the decision they needed her to make if she saw the benefits that would come with joining them.

Quiet fell over the room as the two men relaxed down on the couch, both of them focusing on the image on the TV screen.

* * *

It took a few hours before Spencer and Peter finally emerged from Tony’s workshop. By then, Bruce had come home, and Jim had made them all up a quick batch of sandwiches that they were enjoying together. The video feed of the workshop had been taken off the TV, and a movie was playing in its place. The movie was paused, however, right as Tony heard footsteps coming up behind him. He turned himself to look over the back of the couch and found his two boys standing a few feet away looking a bit devious and extremely nervous, a combination that immediately had him worried.

He didn’t let that worry show, though. Tony flashed them a grin instead. “Hey, guys. Bout time you decided to poke your heads up.”

Peter flushed a little, while Spencer just looked amused. “The irony of _you_ being the one to make that comment…” Spencer trailed off, shaking his head in a way that made his opinion clear.

Tony was surrounded by traitors. Bruce and Jim were both laughing without even bothering to try and cover it up, Jim’s deeper laugh almost overshadowing Bruce’s quiet chuckles. Rolling his eyes and choosing to ignore them, Tony tilted his head and studied the two teens, taking note of the way that Spencer stood. His hands were behind his back, and he had his back angled just a bit towards Peter as if to make doubly sure that no one would see behind him. “So, uh…we have something for you,” Spencer stammered out.

It looked like he was finally going to find out what these two were up to. Tony set his plate down on the coffee table and rose up to his feet, eyes on them the entire time. The two continued to look nervous as Tony came around the couch. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” Peter said, sneaking a look over at Spencer. There were countless words exchanged in that look.

It was Spencer who turned back to Tony first. He refused to meet Tony’s eyes, only making the older man worry even more, but he finally tilted his chin up and brought his eyes to a point just over Tony’s shoulder, as close as he could manage to look at him while this nervous. It was something Tony had noticed Spencer did when he was worried about people’s reactions to things. “So, um, well… today is, uh, it’s Father’s Day,” Spencer blurted out, the words tripping a little over his tongue as he hurried to say them before losing nerve. “And Peter and I talked about it for a while and we just, we wanted to give you something, but we weren’t really sure what to give you.”

“You’re kind of a hard guy to shop for,” Peter said.

Spencer nodded his head in agreement. “We decided that we, well… here.”

The two moved, and Spencer brought his hands out from behind his back and thrust a small box out Tony’s direction.

For a moment Tony could only stand there and stare at them. He’d known what day it was – of course he had! He just hadn’t given it any real thought. He never did. Father’s Day hadn’t been something that he’d celebrated even when his father was alive. The closest he’d ever come was the gifts he’d left out for Edwin Jarvis the day after Father’s Day as a silent thank you. Even those had been something he’d just left there for Jarvis to find on his own, and they’d never talked about it afterward.

But here these two were, watching him so nervously while Spencer continued to hold the box out. It took Bruce’s low “Tony,” to spur Tony into moving. He reached out, not even thinking about it as he took the item from Spencer’s hands without hesitation, something he didn’t do with just anybody. “You guys didn’t have to do this.”

“We wanted to,” Peter told him.

Everyone was quiet as Tony brought the box close. He stared at it for a moment, eyes darting up to the two teens who somehow looked even more nervous than before. When Tony finally opened the little box, what he found wasn’t quite what he was expecting. They’d said they’d made something for him. He’d expected a little trinket, or something he might not quite understand at first, or maybe something goofy and fun like the countless things they’d joked about making together before. This…it looked like – like a snake. A perfectly golden snake that was nestled on a little silk pillow. The whole thing seemed like it’d be about as long as his forearm, maybe a bit more, and was as thin as a pencil. Tony raised his eyebrows, not entirely sure what to think. “You’re… giving me a snake.”

“Not quite,” Spencer said. When Tony looked up, he found that both teens were smiling at him, though Peter looked a bit more nervous than Spencer did. Spencer had his hands in his pockets and was rocking a little on his heels like he sometimes did when he had a bit too much energy going on, or when he was more nervous than he was letting on. “Her name is Alessia. It means ‘defender.’ Peter thought of it.” He cast a quick smile at Peter, who flushed yet took a step forward, putting himself back at Spencer’s side. When he did, he looked past Spencer to the box and said: “Alessia, on.”

To Tony’s surprise and delight, the little snake came to life in its bed. It lifted its head in a very lifelike motion and blinked a few times before – holy shit! It hissed a little at him, tongue out and everything! Tony let out a delighted laugh as he looked at it. “Well now, aren’t you a beauty?” he practically cooed at it. He didn’t care who was watching him anymore. Let them. As the snake – Alessia! – stirred on her bed, he got a much better view of her, and he was beyond impressed. If done in natural colors, the snake would’ve been almost impeccably lifelike, straight down to the tiny little scales that were shifting so smoothly as she moved. But she was gold, all except… when he looked closer, he saw the red of her eyes, the hint of red showing here and there in her scales, and the dash of it at the tip of her tail. They’d done this in his colors.

Spencer cleared his throat and Tony looked up to find the kid rocking just a little bit more. He was still smiling, though. “She’s not anywhere near as sophisticated as FRIDAY or JARVIS, but I’d say she’s probably close to the level of your bots, maybe. FRIDAY or JARVIS would know better than we would.”

“I think you give yourselves far too little credit, little boss,” FRIDAY said smoothly. There was even, dare Tony to say it, a hint of pride in her voice. “Alessia is quite intelligent. Between you and Mr. Parker, plus your powers, she’s a smart one.”

“She won’t constantly be active.” Peter hurried to say before Tony could speak. “We made her able to go dormant, sort of.”

It was Spencer who stepped forward and reached a gentle hand in to scoop Alessia up. He didn’t go far with her, though. He just moved his hand to Tony’s wrist, which Tony held out eagerly as soon as he realized that was where the kid was going. “Bracelet, please, Alessia,” Spencer said. Immediately, Alessia slid off Spencer’s hand and slithered forward to curl herself around Tony’s wrist, wrapping just shy of three times. It ended with her head pointing up towards the back of his hand, two rings of her body under that, and then her tail pointing down his arm. As she settled in, Spencer smiled and took a step back again. “JARVIS said we could, so we used some of those tiny scraps of the vibranium that you kept in the spare bucket, so she’s strong. She won’t break easily. Even if someone manages to get her off of you, she’s programmed to make her way back to you unless you’ve given the command for her to stand down. She can connect remotely to JARVIS and help to keep track of you when you aren’t here, even monitor your vitals if necessary.”

“We also put in a few fun things, just because, well, I mean why not,” Peter said. He was the one that was beaming now, too pleased with their invention to really be too nervous anymore. “She’ll pick pretty much any lock you want her to. We tested it quite a bit. She also has real fangs in there, so she’ll be able to chew through any cuffs someone tries to put on you.”

Spencer nodded his head. “She’s sneaky, too. If it looks like there’s a threat and she can get away with it, she’ll scurry up your sleeve so they don’t see her.”

“She doesn’t have to stay a bracelet, either. You can make her most any kind of jewelry you want, or you can just let her roam free. Though, heads up, she likes to hang out in hair for some reason.”

That had Spencer flushing and Peter laughing at him. There was a story there, one Tony definitely wanted to hear more of, but for the moment he was too busy trying to figure out how to speak around the lump in his throat. When he finally managed it, his voice was just a bit hoarse and a bit softer than usual. “She’s amazing, you two. You did a great job.”

Almost instantly both boys were blushing. Peter looked away, and Spencer dropped his gaze down. “It was… we had fun doing it.” Spencer said, shrugging one shoulder.

Peter nodded, eyes darting up and then away again. “Yeah. And we wanted to, y’know… I mean it’s probably stupid and such, and we really didn’t want to, like, make things awkward or anything like that, but we figured you’d like it and you deserved something nice. I don’t… I don’t remember my dad, really…”

“And mine isn’t worth remembering,” Spencer finished softly. He bit his bottom lip and peeked up at Tony through his bangs. His embarrassment was starting to leak into the room around him, likely without him realizing. It made his words all the more believable and meaningful as he said, “I know we, uh, we started this as an arrangement, but you, I mean you’re…you’re like…”

Oh, that was it. Screw the eyes that Tony could feel on them. He stepped forward and opened his arms so that he could grab both these kids and yank them in. _His kids_. They both flopped a little and almost fell – seriously, how were these two so agile on the field and so damn clueless off it? – but then he had a kid on each side of him, and they were squeezing him back. “Thanks.” Tony murmured against their hair.

A minute later they were pulling back, and all three of them looked awkward. Spencer was, no real surprise, the one to save them from it. “Right, well, um, we’ve still got something that we were… going to go drop off. So, yeah.” He reached out and caught hold of Peter’s arm, obviously intending to drag him away. Then, he looked back at Tony and bit his bottom lip, obviously debating his words before he quietly blurted out, “Happy Father’s Day.” And then they were gone, the two of them vanishing so quickly Tony was surprised they didn’t blow things off the walls.

Tony was left staring after them, a lump in his throat, and his heart feeling fuller than he could ever remember it being.

There was a soft rustle of movement. A moment later, Bruce was there at his side, his fingers light as they brushed over Tony’s arm. He didn’t say anything. Bruce was great like that. He just let his fingers slide down Tony’s arm until he could lace their fingers together.

It was Jim who finally spoke up. “I keep telling you, man. You’ve got some great damn kids.”

For the first time, Tony didn’t flush or try and deny it. He felt his face stretch with a broad smile he couldn’t contain. “Yeah,” he said, somehow managing to speak past the lump in his throat. “Yeah, I do.”


	17. Semptember, 2017

Days passed by rather quickly for Spencer. With each passing one, he found it a little easier and a little easier to let himself sink into the life he was making here. There was definitely enough to help keep him occupied, that was for sure. Nighttime patrols with Peter, which had increased through the summer as Peter prepared himself for starting college. He’d be going to Columbia to study biophysics, which thankfully wouldn’t put him that far away, so they’d still be able to see one another, and Peter would still be able to get out and patrol occasionally. But once he started school, it was going to be up to Spencer to pick up the slack of patrols, because he wasn’t going to have Peter freaking out about something happening and trying to come out when he should be focusing on studying or enjoying college.

Luckily, Spencer was going to have Ned on his side to help keep Peter on track. Ned was going to Columbia as well, and though neither teen knew it, Tony had pulled a few strings to make sure Ned not only got a good enough scholarship to go there but that the two boys were going to end up in the same hall. Tony had made sure to get the boys into Hartley hall, on a high enough floor, and near some trees so that Peter could slip in and out undetected, and that it was a suite. One with only three bedrooms in it – one for Ned, one for Peter, and then one for someone else, who Spencer knew Tony would run a check on as soon as he found out about them.

Spencer also promised to keep an eye on May while Peter was at school. Not that he thought she needed babysitting or anything like that. He knew Peter was just worried about her.

On top of those duties, Spencer had other ones as well. He still trained to better improve his fighting skills, and he practiced with the X-Men to sharpen his skills with his powers. Once in a while, he helped out on Avengers based work, though they kept him to the sidelines the same way they did Spiderman, only letting him come in if it looked like they really needed it. Spencer also spent time each day with either Pepper or Tony, learning more and more about Stark Industries and what might be expected of him in the future.

Dinner was always a relaxing affair. Every Saturday night everyone gathered on Tony’s floor to share a meal, but on the rest of the nights it was often just Tony, Bruce, and Spencer, with Jim sometimes there as well, and Vision occasionally drifting in and out. But it was mostly only Tony, Bruce, and Spencer. The three would settle in with their dinners and either chat at the table to catch up with one another, or take their food into the living room and watch something on TV. They had a selection of shows that they all liked, or at least mostly liked, and were working their way through. Tony liked to throw on Psych just to try and irritate Spencer, who was known to argue with the TV about the things that Shawn saw or how he solved his crimes. Spencer and Bruce often liked to pick the same shows. They were currently on their third season of Supernatural.

In the midst of all that, Spencer was trying to find a little bit of time to look into some classes of his own. Not anything all that time-consuming. He didn’t exactly have free time. But, despite the fact that he didn’t really want the typical college experience, learning new things was always something that Spencer would enjoy, and he knew it’d help him later on if he had a degree to back him up when he fully stepped in at SI. JARVIS helped him to find a few programs that would allow him to do his work here at home, only needing to check in through video chat occasionally, and he helped Spencer get everything set up so that he’d be able to start studying as soon as the fall semester began.

Once Spencer got going, FRIDAY would be able to help him, but it was JARVIS who got it all set up for him, and it was JARVIS who took on some of Spencer’s more private lessons. Ones that Spencer asked remain private between them. On the weeknights, when Spencer slept up at the Compound – he took to sleeping down in his little house only on the weekends – JARVIS would join FRIDAY in Spencer’s room from nine to eleven and offer up his own teachings. Things that they both thought might help Spencer along in the future. At the moment, they were in the middle of lessons in speaking Japanese.

All in all, there were plenty of things to keep Spencer busy, and that made it easy for him to get settled down into his life without noticing it.

But as October crept up on him, another birthday in his future, not even his new classwork or his extra patrol times were enough to keep him fully occupied. Or, more accurately, they kept him busy during the day – but there was nothing to keep his mind busy during the night.

Nightmares had always been a part of Spencer’s life. He’d had them when he was younger – a result of his overactive imagination, his mother said – and they’d only gotten worse when he got older and life gave him so much material to fill his dreams with. Years at the BAU had made that worse. Spencer knew it was partly because of how much of his memories he tried to suppress. He’d seen too many horrible things and worked so hard to keep himself from thinking about them during the day. That had always resulted in them coming out at night.

Since coming here to this universe, his nightmares had been so much less. There were too many other things going on, and it kept his brain spinning even while asleep. Only, now that he was settling in, getting comfortable, it seemed like his brain was reverting back to its old ways. Spencer was having a hard time adjusting to that.

He found himself drawing back just a little bit from everyone. When he was around others, he didn’t speak as much, didn’t interact as much. Nor did he touch as much. It wasn’t like Spencer didn’t _want_ to touch – the need for it grew stronger, the longer he went without. It was just that he didn’t want to risk his own emotions leaking over. Spencer was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from showing how tired he was, or how frayed he felt, if he curled up with his family the way he’d gotten comfortable doing.

Tony let him get away with it, at least for a while. He was always pretty good at giving Spencer space when he needed it, not pushing him too hard to talk about things while also making sure that Spencer knew that he was there for him.

Other people in his life weren’t as patient.

* * *

Charles tried to probe a little when Spencer was at his therapy appointment. They still kept those going despite Spencer having been here for over a year now. They helped him. He didn’t have to go as often – once a month now, instead of weekly – but Spencer knew these sessions aided him. They kept him grounded. He’d come to trust Charles in a way he didn’t trust many. The man knew far more about Spencer’s old life than anyone else in this universe.

But Spencer couldn’t bring himself to talk about this. It felt… stupid.

He should’ve known that kind of thinking wouldn’t work with other people, though. Almost as soon as Spencer’s therapy session was done, and before he could slip out and escape back home, he found himself accosted in the hallway by someone else he’d grown surprisingly close to.

Remy popped out of one of the doors halfway down the hall and grinned broadly when his appearance actually made Spencer startle. Being able to sneak up on the empath was rare. “Hey, cher! Wasn’t expecting y’ out so early!”

It took effort for Spencer to school his expression into something that he hoped wouldn’t give away any of what he was feeling inside. “Hey, Remy.”

The Cajun took one look at Spencer’s face, and his own happy expression wiped away. Apparently, Spencer hadn’t hidden things as good as he’d hoped. Remy pushed his way out of the room he’d been in and made a beeline right for Spencer. There was a little furrow between his brows and a slight frown on his lips, while the rest of him was radiating his affection and concern. “Spencer? What is it, cher? Y’ all right?”

Spencer held up a hand to hold Remy off. Right at the moment, he wasn’t sure if he could handle having the other empath touch him. What little control Spencer had wouldn’t be able to stand up against that and he knew it. The last thing he wanted was to break down right here in the hallway – especially over something so _stupid_! “I’m fine, Remy, honestly. It’s just… I suppose you could say it’s just one of those days, that’s all.”

That earned him a somewhat critical look. Remy ran assessing eyes over every inch of Spencer. When he finally settled on Spencer’s face once more, the concern there had only grown stronger. But so had his determination. “I got just de t’ing for y’, den. C’mon.” Reaching out, Remy caught hold of Spencer’s sleeve, expertly making sure that he didn’t actually touch him or his skin in any way. He just grabbed Spencer’s sleeve just enough to tug him forward. Remy kept pulling, too, despite Spencer’s questions and protests. They both knew that Spencer could’ve gotten free if he really wanted to. The fact that he was letting Remy tug him along like this was pretty telling.

It only took a little bit for Spencer to realize where Remy was taking him. As soon as they headed towards the floor with the bedrooms, he knew. There were only two rooms, both of which were in the same hallway, that Spencer visited regularly. Occasionally, he went down to visit Lark, but for the most part, the only bedrooms he went to were Logan’s and Remy’s, and he only went to Remy’s room to grab him for something. If Spencer were going to hang out in any room in this whole mansion, it would be Logan’s room.

Without ever breaking stride or letting go of Spencer, Remy pulled a phone from the pocket of his jacket and pressed two buttons. Then he lifted the phone to his ear and held it there. A second later, he was saying, “Hey, mec. Need y’ to meet up in y’r room, _s’il te plait_. Need y’r help with somethin’.”

When Remy hung up the phone, Spencer couldn’t help blurting out “What’re you doing, Remy? I told you, I’m fine!”

“Yeah, Remy heard y’,” Remy said. He tossed Spencer a disbelieving look over his shoulder. “He just don’t believe y’.”

Spencer was still stammering over that when they reached Logan’s room. He finally found his voice again as Remy tugged him inside. “I’m fine!” he exclaimed, giving his arm a firm yank. It broke Remy’s grip on his sleeve. As soon as it did, Spencer took a step back, arms coming up to cross defensively over his chest. He glared at Remy. “You’re being completely ridiculous, Remy. I told you I’m fine. There was no reason to go dragging me through the house like some errant child, or summoning Logan up here.”

“Remy could feel y’ radiating de minute he stepped into de hall,” Remy countered, surprising Spencer. He took a step forward but made sure to keep his hands to himself as he did. His expression gentled a little. “Dere’s somethin’ bugging y’, Spencer. It’s gotta be pretty bad, too, if it’s pushing past y’r shields like dis. Usually, talking with de Professor makes y’ feel stressed, _mais_ it also makes y’ feel good, too. ‘Cept fo’ today. Now,” he held up one hand to stop the words he could likely see forming on Spencer’s lips. “I aint after making y’ tell me what’s going on. If y’ wanna talk, I’ll listen, no matter what it is y’ wanna talk about. _Mais_ , if y’ just wanna sit fo’ a bit with some people y’ know y’r safe around, den dat’s all we’ll do.”

The offer had Spencer going quiet. Talking about the things that were bothering him wasn’t something that he wanted to do. He didn’t want to talk about it _at all_. There was too much in his head, too many things that he wasn’t sure he wanted to say to anyone. It was why he’d drawn back so much. He knew if he broke down a little the way that he wanted to, anyone he let himself break around would likely ask him what was wrong. They’d want him to talk about it. What Remy was offering here was the opposite. He was offering Spencer a chance to curl up with someone who he’d found himself getting surprisingly close to these past few months, without the need to say a thing.

Spencer and Remy had talked quite a bit since their first meeting. Most of it was via text, with the occasional video call, and face to face talks when Spencer was here at the mansion. The Cajun was easy to talk to and fun to be around. He knew the truth about who Spencer was and didn’t seem to let it bother him in the slightest bit. He treated Spencer like a person; not as something strange because of how he came to be here, not like a kid, and yet not like a grown adult either. He just took Spencer at face value and treated him accordingly. It was wonderful.

There was no way Spencer could deny, not even to himself, that he really needed some physical contact. Pulling back lately had been hard, and he was feeling the lack of it. It was just… it wasn’t easy for him to ask for that kind of help. Even after his time here, and how much he’d learned to relax about touch thanks to his empathy, it was still hard for him to accept help and comfort from people. Even more so with people that weren’t Peter or Tony. Those two were the easiest. Right behind them was Clint and Logan, and then Jim. But… Remy had been climbing his way up that list. He’d become not just a friend – a _good_ friend. And Spencer desperately wanted to take him up on this.

His indecision must’ve been evident on his face. Remy gentled a little more and took a small step towards him. When Spencer didn’t back away, he stepped forward again, and then again, until he was right there in front of him. Spencer’s growth spurt had put him closer to Remy in height, yet the top of his head still probably reached Remy’s nose. That made it easy for Spencer to melt in against him when Remy reached out and pulled Spencer into his arms.

The two stood there in the middle of Logan’s room as Remy wrapped his arms around Spencer and held him close. Spencer sighed out a breath at the first bit of contact. Then, with a shudder, he felt himself giving in. Felt his empathy surge at the physical contact with another person. Spencer brought his arms up around Remy until he could grip at the back of his ever-present jacket. The scent of cigarette smoke and cologne filled Spencer’s nose. He buried his face in against Remy’s jacket and let his eyes close.

“Dere we are.” Remy turned his face in and nuzzled at Spencer’s hair a little bit. “Y’ all right, cher. Whatever’s going on, y’r all right. Remy’s got y’ now.”

The exhaustion that had been plaguing Spencer over the past month of nightmare filled sleep was finally catching up to him. Just like he’d feared, being held by someone safe, someone he trusted, was enough to make his walls a little shaky.

That shaky feeling only grew when Spencer sensed someone coming towards them. Logan entered the room on almost silent feet. As soon as he saw them, he came inside and carefully shut his door behind them. Then, to Spencer’s surprise, he didn’t come over to them, he went off to the side. A second later Spencer found out why. “Bring him on over,” Logan said in that low, soothing rumble of his.

Spencer found himself being led to the right. He opened his eyes and saw that Logan was sitting down on his bed, propped up against the headboard. There was no chance for Spencer to protest before Remy’s hands were pushing him down and Logan was reaching up. Once Logan touched him, well, how was Spencer supposed to resist those warm, amazing feelings that were always there inside Logan? He let his body slip down onto the bed with a happy sigh. Curling up against Logan’s side was like curling up under a favorite quilt in front of a warm fire. Everything about him felt good and safe and comfortable.

The bed dipped as Remy slipped in behind Spencer. There was absolutely nothing sexual about it as he slid up until he was spooning against Spencer’s back. One of his arms draped over Spencer’s waist, his hand hanging on Logan’s stomach, and he was pressed perfectly against Spencer’s whole backside. It left the young genius safely cocooned between two men he trusted.

Logan’s hand pet Spencer’s hair. “Go to sleep, pup. We got you.”

There was a small piece of Spencer’s brain that wasn’t as drugged as the rest of him felt. That piece was trying to remind him of _why_ he hadn’t been sleeping lately, and what he didn’t want to talk to anyone else about.

It was silenced when Remy snuggled in impossibly closer and nuzzled at the back of his neck. “Can feel how tired y’ are. Go on, sleep, cher. We’ll wake y’ up in a few hours.”

That idea was starting to sound better and better. What was the point of resisting this? They were just trying to help him, after all. And who knew? Maybe having them there would help him get some sleep that wasn’t plagued by nightmares.

With friends curled around him, Spencer closed his eyes and let the exhaustion tug him down towards sleep.

* * *

Spencer woke up to the sound of familiar voices around him. There was a line of warmth in front of him, and an absence of it at his back that had him furrowing his brow in confusion. Hadn’t there been something there before?

He didn’t get long to think about it. A hand settled on his arm, and the presence behind it was one that Spencer knew even half awake like this. He blindly turned himself towards it. “Dad?”

“Hey there, Firefly.” Tony’s voice was like good coffee, warm and rich and full of sweetness. It had Spencer humming happily to himself. He let the familiar hands guide him until he could press his face in against Tony’s chest, ear right over his heartbeat. One of Spencer’s hands came up to fumble for the bottom of Tony’s shirt just like he always did, only he couldn’t find it. Above him, he heard Tony give a low laugh. “Sorry, kiddo. I didn’t come prepared for sleepy kids.”

“Here,” Another voice chimed in, and this was one that Spencer recognized as well, that he knew was safe. “He can have dis one. He likes de feel of it.”

Amusement filled the aura around Tony and warmed through Spencer like hot apple cider. “I’d ask how often my kid’s been rubbing on your shirts, but I really don’t think I want the answer to that. Though I’m not sure whether I want to punch you for touching who is physically a minor, or congratulate him on having good taste.”

“We cuddled, old man. Don’t get y’r britches in a twist over it. He aint eighteen yet.”

“Yet,” Tony repeated, laughing. “Oh, kiddo.” The arms around Spencer pulled him in a little closer, and Spencer smiled at the happiness that was infusing Tony. “I’m gonna have so much fun picking on you when you’re awake. For now, come on, let’s get you up. Your Cajun friend here has a present for you, and then we’ll get you down to the car, and you can sleep a little more on the ride home.” When all Spencer did was mumble sleepily, Tony laughed again. “Damn, am I glad you guys called me. There’s no way in hell he would’ve made it home on his own tonight.”

“Here, brace him up for a sec. I’ll carry him down to the car for you.”

That was Logan’s voice, another safe one. Spencer didn’t bother trying to stir himself any more than he already had; his body was just too exhausted for it. What little sleep he’d gotten here with the two men hadn’t been enough to help chase away weeks of restless nights. Besides, why bother making himself wake up when he knew he could trust the people around him?

However, he did protest when Logan’s arms came around him, though not for the reasons he normally might’ve. Spencer made a low noise of protest because when Logan picked him up, it pulled Spencer away from Tony, away from the steady beat of his heart and the comfort his hold offered, and Spencer wanted back there. Why were they taking him away from Tony? Tony was safe and comfortable, and just, just… he was _Tony_.

Honey-apple wrapped round Spencer just seconds before a hand brushed against his brow. He let that feel – that aura, for lack of a better word – and the hand on his head soothe him back down until he was once more relaxed. “You’re all right, Pikachu. Logan’s just gonna take you down to the car for me, that’s all. I’m right here with you.”

“He’s really out of it,” someone said. This voice, Spencer wasn’t sure he recognized. It was female, and it sounded familiar, but there was no label on it in his head. It wasn’t one he registered as safe, or friend, or anything like that, and because of that he pressed a little closer to Logan and tried to wake himself up.

Logan shushed him, and the world started to move around them. Tony’s voice came between Spencer and that other voice, murmuring “He gets a bit loopy when he hasn’t been getting enough sleep. I’ve had to wake him up off the couch before, and he won’t remember a moment of it the next day.”

The words continued to wash over Spencer, but they weren’t important. He let himself sink back down towards sleep, soothed by the sway of Logan’s arms and the feel of his emotions keeping Spencer safe.

Just briefly did he stir when Logan passed him off; only enough to try and make his limbs help as he moved onto something soft. Then he was laying down once more, and his head was resting on an amazingly soft shirt that had him making happy sounds as he brought a hand up to hold it. Tony was laughing again, and that was fine, it was perfectly all right with Spencer. “Go back to sleep, kiddo. I’ll wake you up when we get home.”

That sounded like good advice. Spencer drew his knees up towards his chest, pressed his face in against the shirt that was acting as his pillow, and he stopped trying to pay attention to anything. Sleep took him back under in just moments.

* * *

The next time that Spencer woke, they were still in the car. This time, though, Spencer was much more alert. Alert enough to realize that he was lying in the back of the car, stretched out along the seat, and with his head pillowed on Remy’s shirt in Tony’s lap.

Embarrassment was the first thing to creep in. Oh, God. That hadn’t been a dream. Those voices, getting Remy’s shirt, being carried by Logan, that had all been real.

He heard Tony chuckle above him. “Welcome back to the land of the living, kiddo.”

“Oh, God.” Groaning, Spencer pressed his face against Remy’s shirt to hide his blush. “Shoot me now. Please.”

“No way, you dramatic little shit. I’m enjoying this too much.” Despite the teasing words, there was a hand in Spencer’s hair that kept up a steady, soothing scratch. “You’re adorable when you’re half asleep. I love it! Plus, it gets me all sorts of new teasing material – and that’s not even touching on _this_ material.” Tony’s hand dropped down briefly to give a small tug on the shirt under Spencer’s head.

The young genius groaned loudly. He was _never_ going to hear the end of this. The way that Tony was laughing at him made that clear.

For a few minutes, the car they were in fell quiet as Spencer woke up a little bit more. Tony let him, no longer teasing, just petting his hair.

He held off for longer than Spencer had expected him to. Still, it was no real surprise when, after a little bit, Tony spoke up. “Why didn’t you tell me you’ve been having trouble sleeping?”

There was no point in denying it anymore. Not now. Tony was too smart to be put off with any stupid excuses. “There was no real point,” Spencer murmured. “I didn’t want you guys to worry for nothing.”

Tony’s hand left Spencer’s hair only to thump the back of his head lightly. He waited until Spencer’s eyes snapped open and looked up at him before he spoke. “There’s always a point. You don’t get to make the decision about what I want to worry about.” His hand settled once more into Spencer’s hair, and it was gentle again. Tony’s expression softened as well, and the love he felt was so easy for Spencer to pick up on right now. “Kiddo… you and I, we both…we started this thing out as a sort of business deal. But you, I mean… you gotta know it’s, it’s more than that now. You couldn’t mean more to me if you were my own flesh and blood. You’re my kid, Spencer, and maybe I’m not always that great at saying it, but you and Peter, I love the hell out of you kids. I’m… I’m doing my best to _be_ my best here, but you gotta let me help you. You gotta let me down my job, hm?”

His words carried nothing but the truth to them. Spencer stared up at him, stunned at that much open honesty coming his way. It was the first time he could really remember anyone straight out telling him how much he meant to them.

He and Tony had been dancing around things for a little while now. They’d become closer, and they both knew that the other meant a lot to them – living with an empath made it almost impossible to hide feelings. But they hadn’t come out and said it. Not like this.

Hearing those words, feeling the emotion behind them, Spencer had to blink back the tears that built in his eyes. He couldn’t find his words; all he could do was give a nod.

Tony smiled down at him. “Good. Everyone at that Compound, we’ve all seen our fair share of shit, kiddo, and we’ve all got nightmares from them. Not a single person there is going to judge you for it. So, the next time these nightmares wake you up, what’re you gonna do?”

“…come find you?” Spencer asked hesitantly.

He was rewarded with another smile. Tony pulled his hand away from Spencer’s hair to tap a finger against his nose. “Exactly! I don’t care if I’m in bed, in the lab, or even if I’ve got someone in bed with me. _Come find me._ I’ve always, _always_ , got time for you, Firefly.”

Tony must’ve been able to sense that he’d pushed Spencer far enough for tonight. When Spencer leaned in and hid his face against Remy’s shirt again, Tony chuckled, but he let him.

For the first time in weeks, Spencer felt like he was finally able to relax again. The nightmares wouldn’t just go away, he knew. They were always going to be a part of his life. With the memory that he had and the things that he’d seen, he was always going to be haunted by his past. But maybe he didn’t have to deal with it on his own anymore. He had a family who was there and willing to help him through them. And that… that was worth just about anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's the end - unless you have any requests you want to see :) The next story shouldn't take too long before we start posting. I've got most of the first chapter done. It's set a bit down the road, about a year and a half I think, and it's going to introduce a few more characters, and start moving a few things forward ;) Hope you've all enjoyed this!

**Author's Note:**

> Come find us at @thequeervet on Tumblr!


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